In one sense, each person who turns to Christian Science and applies it even in the slightest degree is a practitioner, in so far as he is practicing in accord with Principle. To speak in another way, however, there is but one practitioner, God or divine Mind, for infinite intelligence is all that can produce and maintain true practice. When these two statements are understood, they are seen to involve no contradiction of terms. Mind is cause and idea is effect, and cause and effect are, of course, interdependent; hence he who turns to Principle for help, either for himself or for others, is a successful practitioner in proportion as he understands the real man's living as the effect of the one conscious Life which is God. The spiritual action which constitutes healing practice is the effect of ever operative Principle.
Setting out to practice Christian Science for himself and for others, a man should not seek for patients, should not desire a succession of sick people to come to him any more than he wishes a series of diseases or other tribulations to suggest themselves as problems to be solved in his own experience. He must, however, rejoice that he has continuous opportunity to prove what he knows. In other words, he has unlimited practice because his whole true living is the practical evidence of Mind's action.
The sincere and alert activity which is the expression of Principle is always rightly rewarded, often in some unforeseen way, but necessarily in the way that coincides with spiritual order of unfoldment. What rewards right activity is, in fact, simply the further unfoldment of the one ever varied activity that emanates from Mind, demonstrating that the opportunity of living and doing is unlimited. Ceaseless supply of divine intelligence suffices for every need.
