In the first chapter and on the first page of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" Mary Baker Eddy mentions three essentials for the "Christianization and health of mankind," namely, "prayer, watching, and working." The entire sentence reads, "Prayer, watching, and working, combined with self-immolation, are God's gracious means for accomplishing whatever has been successfully done for the Christianization and health of mankind." From this statement we see that our Leader regarded prayer and working as activities capable of being distinguished.
What is prayer? The simplest form of prayer is right desire, the craving for more understanding, for higher living. The word "crave" is a strong expression to use, but Mrs. Eddy in Prose Works speaks no less than four times of immortal cravings, and she uses the same expression twice in the textbook. "Craving" is defined in the dictionary as urgent longing and also as demanding. Well may we have an urgent longing for understanding, for once we obtain it, we shall find it includes all else we can desire.
The Master based his prayers on spiritual reality, and only asked for what was in accord with spiritual law. The same is true of the few prayers given us by Mrs. Eddy. If we pray merely for physical health, human supply, home, or friendship —all of them right and legitimate desires and requests—we have not reached the heights of our Master's and our Leader's prayers. For this reason let us remember always to include aspiration Spiritward. Again, let us not be so exclusively concerned with scientific affirmation, highly important though it is, that we rule out of our prayers heavenly aspiration. While we work through scientific affirmation, we should be sure our prayer always includes heavenly aspiration.
