The prayer that heals, Christian Science teaches, is more than words. The power that brings spiritual healing is God, divine Truth and Love, operating through divine law to improve human consciousness. And the harmonizing effect of God's law—divine facts in operation—becomes evident only to the degree that we imbibe divine Truth and Love in our lives. The genuine prayer of affirmation, therefore, is far from being a recitation of abstract theories relating to God and man. Christianly scientific prayer is essentially dynamic, witnessing the action of God. It makes practical demands on both patient and healer.
Are these demands searching? Yes indeed, both morally and spiritually. Are they daunting? No, they need not be. Divine Love doesn't demand of us more than we are able to do. What are these demands? Perhaps they can be summarized: Let your treatment rise beyond words to become living prayer.
Just how do we do this? An example may be helpful. Suppose you are praying to solve a problem—or maybe someone has asked you to pray for him. Initially, the problem claims reality. If you don't start the treatment with a fear-dispelling conviction of God's supremacy, your words, in prayer, could prove futile—"vain repetitions." Matt. 6:7; The spiritual truths declared must be more to you than hopeful possibilities.
