Prayer

As I was reading and studying the Bible along with Science and Health this morning, I realized that prayer is an absolute benefit to us.  What I mean by this is that prayer doesn’t change God; it doesn’t change God’s action or God’s will, and it doesn’t bring God down to us.

Prayer lifts us up to God.  God already sees and knows perfection.  He/She sees and knows its perfect creation as flawless, spiritual and immortal.

In the chapter entitled Prayer in the book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures (by Mary Baker Eddy), it states:

Prayer cannot change the Science of being, but it tends to bring us into harmony with it. (pg. 2:15)

I find such comfort in this statement.  And it helps me ask myself more clearly, why would I let anything stop me from praying?  Why would I not find the time or not feel like it when I know it is only blessing me and lifting me up?  In this world we find time to do the things that are good for us and that make us feel good – going to the gym, eating healthy, researching and doing new things.

But prayer absolutely lifts us up higher than any of these things can.  It makes us feel at peace, and have less stress and worry.  This of course impacts our health as well as our interactions with our family and relationships. Prayer opens up our thought to new ideas and opportunities which affects our business endeavors and life purpose.  This makes us feel more fulfilled, a greater sense of self-worth and value, and results in more consistent supply.

So why wouldn’t we pray?  Prayer is going to open us up to more of God’s perfection; seeing and knowing Him/Her more clearly and with more understanding.  Prayer will absolutely not change God; it won’t make Him act differently, or think differently, and it won’t make him “do” anything He wasn’t already doing.

So let’s not cheat ourselves out of what is going to benefit us most greatly, along with blessing the rest of the world.  Let’s find that time to sit, be still, listen, read the Bible, Science and Health or other spiritual writings.  And this will greatly benefit us, bless us, and lift us up (our thought, our consciousness) to behold and see God.


Redefining longevity: the new centenarian spirit

I Love the Monitor’s issue on those living over 100! It’s wonderful and I’m so happy to see possibilities opening up for everyone! And to know that it’s so much about our outlook and attitude.

via www.csmonitor.com

As a model of longevity, Elsa Hoffman 102 – with her great-grandaughters Blair (l) and Elsa Textor-Black – says there’s nothing “I say I can’t go to or don’t want to do.” This centenarian’s version of slowing down in the past decade is to limit her travel to places near her Florida home – South America, for example.

What is the Scientific meaning of salvation?

I was reading the weekly Bible lesson this morning (which is comprised of citations from the Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures) and it talks about “denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world” (Titus 2:12).

I began thinking about how the Christ (the activity of God) “saves” us from sin.

I think popular theology says we are “saved” from sin so that we don’t go to hell afterwards and have eternal life.

However, Scientific understanding realizes “sin” (or ‘missing the mark’ as the Latin implies) to be a kind of cloud that covers up God’s light, grace, and love.

So this “salvation” from sin, is actually saving us right now in this present moment.  Sin results from the belief that we are separated from God, good, divine Love.  But we are not and never have been separated with that Love.  We are at one with God, divine Love, right now.

When we live in accord with God’s spiritual nature we are open and receptive to more light, more opportunity and God’s blessings.  We are magnifying good, which is another term for God, and therefore we experience more good in our lives.  We are able to have better, more enriched relationships; confidence in knowing God is supplying all of our home, financial, and job-related needs; and a greater sense of peace along with loving our neighbor & communities better.

So this salvation isn’t meant to deprive us of all the joys of material living now so we can have eternal bliss after.  It is realizing, since God is Spirit, to live in accord with Spirit, to be at-one with Spirit, is where true goodness, peace, and, therefore, happiness comes from.  This is realizing eternal life now – the seamlessness and continuity of life, being, and existence right now.