"As we practice the work of forgiveness we discover more and more that forgiveness and healing are one." --Agnes Sanford
Through this humility scientists have learned how to conform to the laws of nature and by so doing have achieved results. Through the same meekness those who seek God can produce results by learning to conform to His laws of faith and love. "The first step in seeking to produce results by any power is to contact that power. . .
"The second step is to turn it on. . . . "The third step is to believe that this power is coming into use and to accept it by faith. No matter how much we ask for something it becomes ours only as we accept it and give thanks for it."
it is as difficult to make God's power operate contrary to His will as it is to make water flow uphill. A wise engineer studies the laws of flowing water and builds his water system in accordance with those laws. A wise scientist studies the laws of nature and adapts his experiments to those laws. And a wise seeker after God had better study the laws of God and adapt his prayers to those laws
Nerves are like children. They respond to suggestion better than to command. In fact the subconscious mind that controls the forces of the body has an almost wanton disregard for command. "Relax!" we tell ourselves sternly, and the nerves laugh at us and tighten up more than ever. "Now you're relax
"Prayer is only auto-suggestion," some people say. Those who really experiment with prayer know from its results that it is far more than auto-suggestion. But even auto-suggestion, so far as it goes, follows out the laws of God. For who is the "auto" that makes the suggestions? It is the inner being that is part of God speaking to the framework of flesh.
Therefore if we find ourselves thinking, "One of my headaches is coming on," we correct that thought. "Whose headaches?" we say. "God's light shines within me and God doesn't have headaches!"
And we rejoice in the Lord and give thanks for His perfection that is being manifested within us. If our first attempt to do this does not succeed, what of that? The Wright brothers' first attempt at an airplane did not succeed. They tried again and again and again. Cannot we be as good Christians as they were scientists ? Every time that we meditate upon God's life and light instead of meditating upon a headache, we are building into our inner consciousness a new thought-habit of health. Some day that new thought-habit will be stronger than the old one, and headaches will be no more.
Every prayer should end with this strong command: "So be it"; "Amen."
God has made ample provision for our every need. He has supplied for almost every disease two specific remedies: one inherent in the properties of nature and discoverable by science, and one hidden in the being of man and discoverable by faith. But man must make the effort to find them, harness them, and use them. God will not feed us forever with the food of life. We must learn how to feed ourselves. I
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those who bring good tidings! And how beautiful in the midst of a very cruel world are the hands of those who touch the sufferer with the healing love of Christ!
Christ is the healer. No human being has power to heal. Christ loves all of us, and sends His love through us to His children according to His will. If we quiet ourselves and let Him speak, we will not go wrong. His love not only directs us to those whom He would have us heal, but also directs every word that we say and everything that we do. We know instinctively, for instance, where to lay the soothing hands in prayer. This is usually directly upon the afflicted part, as Jesus laid His hands upon blind eyes and lifeless ears.
There is only One in all the world who dwelt perfectly in God and yet remained firmly in the flesh, enduring it until the very end: the man Jesus Christ. "He ever liveth and maketh intercession for us." He is, in other words, always attuned to our prayers, always sending out to us the infinite and eternal light of God clothed in the thought-vibration of humanity. In order to fill our selves with the power of God, then, let us fill our spirits and minds and hearts with Him.
Having turned our thoughts up toward God, we now turn them down toward man. And the success of our prayer depends as much on the depth of our love to man as on the height of our love to God.
As Thomas Kelly says, ''First He takes the world out of our h earts, so that we can give our hearts to Him. Then He puts the world back into our hearts, so that we can give Him to the world."
This is, indeed, Christianity. Every other way of t hought finds God by leaving man. In Jesus Christ alone the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.
Divine Science: New Light Upon Old Truths (e-book)
How to Develop the Faith That Heals - Fenwicke Holmes (audiobook)
How To Let God Heal You - Myrtle Fillmore (audiobook)
Primary Lessons in Christian Living and Healing - Annie Rix Militz (e-book)
Spiritual Health and Healing - Horatio W. Dresser (e-book)
The Bible and New Thought Christianity (article)