Christ Jesus gave his disciples—and his followers today—clear instructions on how to heal as he did. For example, when his disciples asked why they had failed to heal a boy of a severe illness, whom Jesus subsequently healed, he answered: “This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting” (Mark 9:29). This is a vital concept in healing that is relevant to us today.
What does “prayer and fasting” mean? Prayer can take many forms. One word that describes it is communion. Prayer consciously confirms our unity, our eternal oneness, with God, divine Spirit. Mary Baker Eddy writes of this prayerful union, “The intercommunication is always from God to His idea, man” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 284).
God is always communicating His love to each of us at every moment, and revealing the reality of being. Prayer involves listening to God’s communication. As we commune with God, divine Soul, we turn from material sense and hear the truth about God and man. Through prayer, we watch God work and rejoice that He works through us, revealing our true being and purpose.
