For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this
mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and
shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those
things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have
whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things
soever ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them,
and ye shall have them.
Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask
Him. - CHRIST JESUS.
1:1THE prayer that reforms the sinner and heals the
sick is an absolute faith that all things are
possible to God,- a spiritual understanding of Him,
an unselfed love. Regardless of what another may say
or think on this subject, I speak from experience.
Prayer, watching, and working, combined with self-im-
molation, are God's gracious means for accomplishing
whatever has been successfully done for the Christian-
ization and health of mankind.
1:10Thoughts unspoken are not unknown to the divine
Mind. Desire is prayer; and no loss can occur from
trusting God with our desires, that they may be
moulded and exalted before they take form in words
and in deeds.
Right motives
2:1What are the motives for prayer? Do we pray to
make ourselves better or to benefit those who hear us,
to enlighten the infinite or to be heard of
men? Are we benefited by praying? Yes,
the desire which goes forth hungering after righteous-
ness is blessed of our Father, and it does not return
unto us void.
Deity unchangeable
2:8God is not moved by the breath of praise to do more
than He has already done, nor can the infinite do less
than bestow all good, since He is unchang-
ing wisdom and Love. We can do more for
ourselves by humble fervent petitions, but the All-lov-
ing does not grant them simply on the ground of lip-
service, for He already knows all.
2:15Prayer cannot change the Science of being, but it
tends to bring us into harmony with it. Goodness at-
tains the demonstration of Truth. A request that
God will save us is not all that is required. The mere
habit of pleading with the divine Mind, as one pleads
with a human being, perpetuates the belief in God as
humanly circumscribed,- an error which impedes spirit-
ual growth.
God's standard
2:23God is Love. Can we ask Him to be more? God is
intelligence. Can we inform the infinite Mind of any-
thing He does not already comprehend?
Do we expect to change perfection? Shall
we plead for more at the open fount, which is pour-
ing forth more than we accept? The unspoken desire
does bring us nearer the source of all existence and
blessedness.
2:31Asking God to be God is a vain repetition. God is
"the same yesterday, and to-day, and forever;" and
3:1He who is immutably right will do right without being
reminded of His province. The wisdom of man is not
sufficient to warrant him in advising God.