In one of his Epistles, Paul writes, "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."Phil. 4:6; How often do we combine our prayers with thanksgiving? Are we not rather more inclined to defer our thanks until we see the results of our prayers? Yet prayer and thanksgiving are closely related. In Christian Science the basis of true prayer is the grateful acknowledgment of the unchanging perfection of God and of man as His perfect reflection.
It is cause for endless gratitude to know that God creates everything good, like Himself, and therefore whatever is not of the nature of good is not of God because it has no creator; that man is made in the image and likeness of God, Spirit, and therefore is spiritual, not subject to the so-called laws of matter and its beliefs. On the basis of these great facts it is apparent that man, the reflection of God, is heir to divine good, which by reason of its infinite nature is constantly and freely available to all who claim this heritage. Such prayerful admissions open the door to the further unfoldment of good and provide access to the inexhaustible resources of health and harmony.
As we realize the impartial nature of divine Love and its universal availability, our prayers cease to be mere petitions for some desired blessing or favor and become joyful affirmations of the spiritual facts pertaining to God's creation. Cruden defines "thanksgiving" as "an acknowledging and confessing with gladness, the benefits and mercies, which God bestows either upon ourselves or others."
