Members of The Mother Church have a precious possession in the Church Manual, written by the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy. As disciples of Christ Jesus, they are herein reminded of the discipline necessary for his followers. In Article VIII, under the heading "Guidance of Members," Section 1, "A Rule for Motives and Acts," points to the need for watchfulness and prayer. This admonition is developed in Section 3, entitled "Christ Jesus the Ensample," and further elaborated in Section 4, entitled "Daily Prayer," which is, in part, a brief interpretation of the petition, "Thy kingdom come," given in the phrase, "Let the reign of divine Truth, Life, and Love be established in me, and rule out of me all sin." Then follows the wider benison, "And may Thy Word enrich the affections of all mankind, and govern them!"
So simple a duty may, it seems, be easily accomplished. Many Christian Scientists with heartfelt sincerity daily offer that tribute to God, whom they serve. So, for many years, had one Christian Scientist prayed, never omitting the recital of this prayer, and regarding that duty as a necessary feature of each day's activity. Day by day, as the words came into her thought, she strove to think them fervently, but as the years passed, the prayer became a habit, and the meaning seemed as an oft-heard tale. Gradually it dawned on her that her repetition of this "Daily Prayer" was becoming a matter of routine, performed as a duty rather than as a fresh, exhilarating communion with the living source of intelligence. She was being obedient, but not intelligently so.
With a shock she was led to consider the title of another section also under the heading, "Discipline," namely, "Formulas Forbidden." She remembered that in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 12), Mrs. Eddy refers to the prayers of our Ensample as "deep and conscientious protests of Truth,—of man's likeness to God and of man's unity with Truth and Love."
