How to Receive Divine Power

Mary Baker Eddy writes in Science and Health, “Whatever holds human thought in line with unselfed love, receives directly the divine power.” (p. 192)

When I first realized what this statement was saying, I was quite awed by it. I began to think about it and pray with it before I would do a Watch. What Mrs. Eddy is saying is, even if your thought is not on a high level, as long as it is aligned with unselfed love, you will receive “directly the divine power.” Therefore, as I am praying for our church, our community, our world, because it is unselfed, I am the receiver of the divine power. This is a tremendous thought.

Years ago, the practitioner and teacher in this church told us a story of how she had once been very ill with the flu. She was getting help from a very fine practitioner. After a few days of this, the practitioner said, “Well are you praying for everyone? Are you knowing that this flu is not the truth about you, nor is it the truth about anyone, anywhere?” Her answer to this question was, “Well, no, I haven’t been praying like that.” She then began to. In other words, she made her prayer not just personal for herself, but she made it universal, to know that the claim of flu was not true for her or for anyone, anywhere. She said she was healed that day.

All our prayers should be unselfish. Yes, we pray for ourselves, but also to send our prayers out to bless and heal all mankind. I am so grateful to Mary Baker Eddy for our textbook, Science and Health, for the wisdom she has given us, and her understanding of the Bible.