QUESTION: I find it confusing that sometimes Christian Scientists suggest having "prayer watches," where two or more people get together to pray about a specific topic. This seems contradictory to the fact that we find it unethical to have more than one practitioner treating a patient. Additionally, I don't understand how praying for the world fits into this. If many people are praying about one issue, isn't this also like having more than one practitioner working on a case?
A1 When an individual requests treatment from a Christian Science practitioner, he or she is making a private arrangement with that practitioner to pray together for healing. The practitioner's prayers are directed toward the situation of that individual and no one else. It's specific prayer for a particular person. That's why it's considered normal practice to have only one healer at a time praying for a particular individual.
