Arizona republican., 1916-04-12

prayer was made the standard of Jesus teachings. He spent a great part of his short personal ministry proving beyond doubt that his prayer was with power to cast out evil of every kind; and for those who accept his life and teachings as their stand ard, this should also be the standard of prayer.
 Judged upon this basis, Christian Science can speak and does speak with certainty upon the subject of prayer, for the followers of Christian Science have received innumerabl and direct answers to their prayers Through the correct understanding of prayer which they have gained from the teachings of Christian Science, a Vast and ever increasing multitude have been enabled to free themselves from many phases of sin and disease, anG in addition have been enabled to break these bonds for their friends and fellow men. This fact has been established so certainly. and in so many cases, that discussion of the question as to whether Christian Science heals or not has become quite unnecessary and superfluous. certainly among large proportion of the pub ! lie
 l The question therefore arises. What is the nature of the prayer of Chris tian Science, and wherein does it diff fer from the ordinary religious ac- | equation of prayer; and primarily, 1 does it agree with prayer as under stood and practiced by those men of old whose perception of true prayer has based all religious teaching? AL so, does it agree with the prayer of Christ Jesus the Wayshower? Unfor- i tunately for mankind, popular religi- ous thought has frequently consider i ed such prayer and it's results to be a special dispensation, although ad- hitting that God, to whom all prayer is addressed and by whom all prayer i is answered is the same, yesterday and today, and forever" The result of this belief has been that the world has failed to realize fully that true prayer and it's effects not only were 1 in no way breach of law or spec ial intervention, but were in fact the simple, natural and inevitable results 1 of understanding God and His un- l changeable laws, revealing the true nature of that prayer which is all ways answered. It was of such pray CT that Jesus spoke when he declar- ed, Father, l knew that thou nearest me always
 To Understand God Essential. To pray alright it is evident that we DnuS St firSt l,noU- Cod arioht for if would be useless to pray to something i that we did not understand. To know God alright and therefore intelligently i one must, at least temporarily, be willing to set aside preconceived mo- tions as to what God is and to face this question from thoroughly un- biased position, accepting no evidence but that of reason and scriptural re- velation. It was undoubtedly the cor rect understanding and definition of God by Mary Baker Eddy, the Dis coverer and Founder of Christian Science, which gave such power and success to the Christian Science movement. and which has enabled Christian Scientists intelligently to make use of Gods laws for the de-
 struction of evil, even as they were
 used 1900 years ago.
 It is also wise when one has gain
 ed the standpoint from which one is
 willing to think intelligently and therefore progressively, to take a look backward and see how and from what source his previous convictions about God were gained, for as Mrs Eddy