ONE coming into Christian Science from another religious belief or denomination may find he has to make many changes in his outlook on life, in his concepts of God and man, and in his understanding of his relationship to the Father and to his fellow-men. In no one thing, perhaps, is this change more radical than in the concept of what constitutes true prayer and fasting.
When the student has advanced to some understanding of Christian Science, his prayers cease to be an outlining of certain things which he wants to come to him in a certain way. No human parent would permit a young child to decide what is best for the child's welfare and advancement, yet men try in prayer to instruct God what to do for His children. The love which God has for all His children is infinitely greater than the love of human parents could possibly be; and He knows, far better than mortals can know, what is best for us to receive.
Christ Jesus is the Way-shower. The Christian Scientist, therefore, seeks to pattern his method of prayer and his concept of fasting after those of Jesus, and he learns how to do this by diligent study of the Bible and of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy. The first chapter of this textbook is devoted to the subject of prayer; and on page 12 Mrs. Eddy writes of Jesus as one "whose humble prayers were deep and conscientious protests of Truth,—of man's likeness to God and of man's unity with Truth and Love." Prayers in Christian Science, therefore, are "humble prayers." They are not instructions to God as to the how, the why, the when, and the where—not out-linings of particular things wanted. They are such "deep and conscientious protests of Truth" as constitute a fervent desire to be shown the right thing to do and the right way to do it, a willingness to learn and to do the Father's will. The Christian Scientist in his prayers strives to obey Paul's instruction to the Romans to conform to "that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God," and does not ask God to change His will of good. And in the degree that these prayers show one's "unity with Truth and Love," in humble desire to let Truth and Love govern, they are answered.
