Los Angeles herald., 1910-04-24

The desire of the Christian world
has always been, and Is, that man
may pray availingly. A good disciple
of early days charged the Christians of
his time with praying amiss; and
Christendom has had so much expert
ence with what seems to be unan-
swered prayer that a very general
prayer has held the generations. So
many notions about God and man
have prevailed, so many creeds have
been devised to save and to satisfy
mortals, SO many counter-efforts have
been made to break the faith of be-
levers, that the world has been in
much confusion upon the subject of
prayer. Christ Jesus proved the pow
er and availability of prayer so prac
tically that he healed and reformed
others and delivered himself from
every evil situation. Treasured evil
dences of answered prayer enrich the
records OF both the Old and New Tes-
taments. Yet the course of education
today too frequently persuades the
business man, the housewife or the
toiler of the factory or the fields that
prayer belongs to the isolated saint
and not to the busy wage-earner.
Christian Science tells the very busiest.
the most discouraged, or the most
helpful, happy communion with God
may accompany him In all times and
places. And because of this teaching
Christian Science Is truly practical re-
ligion.
MAN OF AFFAIRS
King Solomon was a man of affairs
a ruler, a statesman, a judge. Yet be-
cause he knew he was of himself "a
little child" and that he must depend
upon the law of God for wisdom and
understanding, he was so helped in
the actual affairs of his busy life that
"all the kings of the earth sought the
presence of Solomon, to hear his wis
dom that God had put In his heart"
For his PRACTICAL dealing with his peo-
pie, whether in questions of states
manship or In the building of the tenn
pie, he needed to know God just as
surely as did the prophets who walked
In solitude; and because he knew he
needed God he found him. Surely the
man of affairs today, who has the
problem of adjusting relationships,
providing employment, supplying the
markets or getting his work, whatever
it may be, well done against all the
hindrances of twentieth century liv-
ing, has as great a need for God in his
heart as has the recluse. And relig-
ion which does not reach Into the mi
nutiae of everyday matters does not
supply the right kind of help.
Christian Science teaches that right
eousness is primarily right thinking.
Righteous deeds necessarily spring
from right and true thoughts. The
most practical mortal, II his good sense
and helpfulness be based upon what is
called the Golden Rule is among the
righteous of earth. Withdrawal from
affairs is not necessarily, and of itself,
goodness; a right handling of affairs
promotes good and is good.
UNQUALIFIED REFORMER
He who improves the conditions of
is a reformer, whether or
not he does his work in the name of
creed; and because the first activity
toward reform is a matter of thought
1t is in the realm of thought that right
eous foundations are laid. 1t is, or
course In this realm of thought that
prayer operates, and so the activity of
right thinking is really the one prac-
tical thing a mortal can cherish.
Prayer, Christian Science teaches, Is