Christian Science, being an exact Science, demands the understanding and practice of its divine Principle, God. A child, or one who has but faintly glimpsed the Principle of Christian Science, is able to heal. But the ability to heal consistently, as Christ Jesus healed, requires a fuller understanding of Principle as divine Love. This understanding comes only through the Christianization and purification of the human consciousness, through taking up the cross and following the Christ in one's daily life.
In her inspired opening sentence in the first chapter of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" our Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, writes (p. 1), "The prayer that reforms the sinner and heals the sick is an absolute faith that all things are possible to God,—a spiritual understanding of Him, an unselfed love." Today as students of Christian Science we seek to learn more of this "absolute faith" which heals both sin and sickness, and in this search we turn to the Bible and to our Leader's writings. Here a rich reward awaits the earnest seeker.
Illumining the initial statement given above regarding healing prayer and faith is the one on page 297 of Science and Health which tells us, "Until belief becomes faith, and faith becomes spiritual understanding, human thought has little relation to the actual or divine." A study of this statement in connection with the one on prayer brings the realization that spiritual understanding is the understanding of God as Life, Truth, Love. This understanding is active faith and the starting point for true healing prayer.
