"AND all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." This declaration was made by Jesus, following his demonstration in connection with the fig tree, to impress upon his disciples the fact that the testimony of the physical senses, on which they placed so much reliance, was not to be trusted, and that material existence, considered substantial from the human viewpoint, was merely a sham. In view of the fact that he always supported his statements by tangible proofs, we cannot doubt the veracity of every word he uttered. In other words, we cannot reasonably question the views of Jesus concerning those subjects on which he gave instruction. He knew whereof he spoke, and meant every word he said.
Jesus further stated, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away,"—a statement surely meant to emphasize the value of his words. To those who can realize the significance of his utterances, how comforting it is to trust his promises! According to them, it is in our power to have dominion over every material belief. Rightly directed, this power, the power of Truth, when recognized and applied, would solve all individual as well as all world problems.
But we also read, "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss." Evidently, human judgment is not sound enough to be dependable, and material sense is not trustworthy. Mortals are liable to desire certain things which are not right for them to have. In that case, it is not in conformity to divine law that they should have them. God is Love. His laws are based on Love; and it is not in the nature of Love to tolerate the unlovely. Therefore, when we desire anything, it would be well for us to analyze the nature of our desire, before we even wish to see it realized. It is true, certain desires may appear to us very uncertain as to their merit; but when we are confronted with a situation of that nature, it would be wise on our part to place the question entirely in the hands of God, confident that only good can be the outcome from such reliance. As Mrs. Eddy writes in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 1), "No loss can occur from trusting God with our desires, that they may be moulded and exalted before they take form in words and in deeds."
When, after such trust, the result becomes tangible to us, we should accept it cheerfully and gratefully, regardless of the fact that it may seem to be contrary to human inclination, or may not measure up to our expectation. Humanity is fallible; and we are wise if we are willing to be grateful even for seeming affliction. Who of us has not had the experience, time and again, when certain events in our lives seemed almost disastrous, of having them ultimately prove to be a blessing? This is due to the unreliability of human judgment, which lacks the true wisdom, which is foolishness to the carnal mind.
Mortal mind, so called, does not present wholesome desires. This is one reason for our failure to see those desires realized. But purely spiritual desires leave no uncertainty as to their merit. Such desires should be cherished and persistently dwelt upon until realized. There can be no doubt as to the possibility of their realization, for we have a divine right to spiritual perfection; and anything leading to that goal is within our power to possess. Is not this what Jesus meant when he said, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you"? He referred to those desires and efforts conformable to the laws of God. Right desires can never fail. They have all the elements in them essential to demonstration. The erring beliefs of so-called mortal mind are the stumblingblocks to the realization of such desires. As we gain more of the Mind of Christ, our task will be simplified. If we possessed this Mind in fullest measure, we should be incapable of desiring anything that savors of ungodliness.
But Jesus himself did not attain to this perfection without an effort. His life was one of constant spiritually-mental work. It took him thirty years to reach the point where he could prove the fallacy of all so-called material laws, and be in a position to demonstrate that it is in the power of man, governed by God, divine Mind, to receive whatsoever he asks for, irrespective of the fact that the desires may not conform to any so-called laws of matter.
Jesus attached great significance to faith. "If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed," he said to his disciples, "ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you." Jesus thus conveyed the fact that however huge and heavy our burden may seem to be, if we have faith enough, it can be removed; and however intricate and complicated our problems may seem, if we have confidence in the righteousness of our desire, they can be solved. In all his work in opposition to material law, Jesus always mentioned faith as a requisite. Whenever his disciples failed to produce certain results, he would attribute it to lack of faith.
To develop faith may not seem easy in an age apparently saturated with materialism, and in mentalities that can recognize almost nothing save that which is cognizable only by the human senses. It was thus that Christianity seemed to lose much of its influence during the eighteen hundred years and more following the advent of Jesus the Christ. The true faith which heals and protects is contingent on the clear understanding of the Science of being, and on the right quality of our desires. It is impossible to have this faith unless we understand something of the allness of Spirit and the consequent unreality of matter; and it is equally impossible if the quality of our desires is not spiritual. In order for us to have true desires our materially-mental sense must undergo a radical change; and this can be effected only by careful study of and obedience to the Science of being, as revealed and taught in the Bible and in the writings of Mrs. Eddy.
As our views regarding existence are thus changed from material sense to spiritual substance, and our concept of life in matter is consequently corrected, our desires will become wholesome and legitimate, and our mentality be transformed into a soil productive of faith. Thus, with spiritualized consciousness we shall be in the position to ask and receive; and nothing whatsoever will be impossible to us.
