Q: In James 5:14 we read: “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.” And in Acts 12:4–7 is the story of Peter being “kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.” Both of these passages speak of prayer for an individual by a group of people. And in many Christian churches today, individuals are encouraged to ask for prayer from the congregation. Why is it that Christian Science churches generally do not do this? Can an individual Christian Scientist ask a Christian Science congregation for prayer?
A: While it is true that Christian Science church services do not include a designated time for individuals to ask for prayers from the congregation, the services are actually dedicated to healing through prayer. Mary Baker Eddy founded the Church to “reinstate primitive Christianity and its lost element of healing” (Church Manual, p. 17). She expected individuals to come to Christian Science church services and be healed. Healing happens at both the Sunday services and Wednesday testimony meetings, and is accomplished by the divine power of the weekly Bible Lesson-Sermon read on Sundays (which is the word of God read from the Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, by Mary Baker Eddy), by the readings selected from these two books for Wednesday testimony meetings, by the accounts of healing that people share at these meetings, as well as by the prayers of the congregation.
At Sunday services and Wednesday testimony meetings, members come together with a collective sense of conviction and inspiration to unite in prayer for the congregation, knowing that the spiritual, healing truths shared at both of these services effectively meet everyone’s needs. Another Church Manual provision states, “The prayers in Christian Science churches shall be offered for the congregations collectively and exclusively” (p. 42). Church members attend services to pray for the entire congregation and to recognize the power and presence of God to heal whatever needs healing.
