In Article VIII, Section 4, of the Manual of The Mother Church Mrs. Eddy says, "It shall be the duty of every member of this Church to pray each day: 'Thy kingdom come;' let the reign of divine Truth, Life, and Love be established in me, and rule out of me all sin; and may Thy Word enrich the affections of all mankind, and govern them!" In this prayer Christian Scientists are given both a goal to inspire them and a light to guide them as they daily participate in the progress of the Christian Science movement.
"Thy kingdom come." The establishment of God's government in human consciousness, with the consequent destruction of sin, disease, and death by Life, Truth, and Love, is the objective towards which all Christian Scientists are working, and must continue to work that their efforts may be fruitful. What grander ambition could one have than to follow the demonstrations of Christ Jesus, even to the point where all that is mortal disappears before the immortal—where the reward gained by the faithful Master is won by his faithful followers!
Mrs. Eddy gave us this prayer for a practical purpose; for prayer without practice is foreign to the Science of the living Christ. As she advises us on page 16 of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," "The highest prayer is not one of faith merely; it is demonstration." Our Leader knew that, contrary to the generally accepted belief, the realization of the prayer, "Thy kingdom come," is not only possible but imperative of achievment here and now; and, further, that it can become an accomplished fact only as mankind obeys the instructions of Christ Jesus and follows his demonstrations. Hence it is the duty of every Christian Scientist to bend all of his efforts throughout each day to the making of further progress towards this ultimate of scientific demonstration. Having given us this "Daily Prayer," our Leader does not leave us without the means to fulfill it, for her writings unlock the door to the Scriptures, whereby we may have instruction in the sole method by which we may perform our task.
