RIGHT praying is the vitalizing and awakening power in Christianity. It aids and stimulates activity, and brings out the practicality of Christianity in everyday life. It is the natural and universal means for the healing of all the ills that claim to be opposed to eternal harmony, to divine Mind, God. It purifies and uplifts the individual in the ratio that he truly prays. It gives quiet and peace and health to every one. The highest prayer is silent spiritual communion with God, good; and this implies demonstration— healing the sick, reforming the sinner. This prayer brings out the proof that God is Love, and that His creation, including man, is harmonious, perfect, whole, eternal. Prayer begets and arouses courage and confidence, and opens the way to success in every right and worthy human endeavor.
Prayer brings one into close touch with all good things, and makes him love to ponder them in his heart; it helps him to wax strong in spirituality. Through genuine prayer one increases in wisdom and in favor with God and man. Prayer saves one from his seeming enemies, from all who appear to hate him, and from everything that gives evidence of opposition to him; it shows him how to fill up and build up with friendliness and good cheer every valley of mental depression occasioned by strife and dissension; it assists him in pulling down and removing with love and joy and peace every mountain and hill of resentment, contention, and bitterness that may seem to rise up in his thought; it makes all the rough places smooth, all the crooked things straight; it makes one's pathway here and now grow brighter and ever brighter.
Consistent and true prayer conforms one's ways to his Maker; it turns his thought in the way of righteousness; it gives him heavenly, guiding intuition, and leads him to greater spiritual vision and more exalted desire. Right prayer is affirmative, intelligent, fervent; it is not a mere form or words, but is the truth, the truth that enlightens and makes free. To think the right thing, and to do the right thing as one sees it or understands it, is good and acceptable prayer. In "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 13) Mrs. Eddy says: "If we are not secretly yearning and openly striving for the accomplishment of all we ask. our prayers are 'vain repetitions,' such as the heathen use. If our petitions are sincere, we labor for what we ask; and our Father, who seeth in secret, will reward us openly."
