A patient was telling me how she had been arguing against a disease in her prayerful effort to be healed of suffering disease. “I don’t have this disease. I don’t have a physical ailment. I’m not material,” were some of her protestations of truth. But the healing proved elusive.
To help her find success, I mentioned, “Your arguments of truth still recognize the belief of disease, as if it’s a real entity you must get rid of. It would be helpful to move thought away from trying to get rid of an unreality to discerning reality.”
We discussed how reality was her perfect health in Mind, her spiritual being with God, her harmonious Life in Spirit.
As her thought shifted from trying to get rid of suffering, to honoring her reality with God as a healthy spiritual being filled with the harmony and peace of God, her prayers found traction. The error lost its hold on thought, and healing came.
This woman’s experience offers a valuable lesson for all of us who pray for healing. Jesus taught, “Know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). As Christian Science explains, our “truth” is our spiritual reality with God.
To say, “I don’t have a cold,” is a statement that echoes a spiritual reality, but is not yet emphasizing our full reality with God.
To declare, “I am a healthy, well spiritual creation of God,” is an accurate statement of spiritual reality and nearer what Jesus had in mind when he instructed, “Know the truth” that sets you free.
Argue for spiritual truth—pure spiritual truth—when in prayer. It brings faster results.
Oh Evan I am so so grateful for this today. I see what I’ve been doing wrong. Thank you so much!
This so relates to an experience I had last night.
I woke after only an hours sleep with severe itching particularly on my feet. I could find no relief, couldn’t get back to sleep again and decided this was a challenge that needed some conderfal spiritual attention. My thought automatically went through various bible verses and well known quotes from S and H. However, no relief came. To make it worse it was a very stormy windy night battering the bedroom windows. But that in its turn made me think about Jesus saying “Peace, be still “
Amongst the turmoil and anxiety expressed by his disciples at that time. So. I just stopped my internal struggle and asked God to guide my prayers. I was so taken aback as it came to me …you’re not a victim! Well where did that come from . Then I remembered that only the other day, on this blog I recounted how difficult it is having a (dear ) partner constantly entrenched in physical problems. My prayer had to see that all this material evidence cannot influence myself or our home. There could be no resentment or material postering about what I now see as animal magnetism. All personality had to be replaced to put God first. This bible verse just jumped out at me..
If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 1st John 4
And that was the end of it! Complete , instantaneous healing. Thank you God! And thank you for MBE for giving us this Comforter.
It has taken me much longer to relate this than the beautiful lesson I learned and benefitted from in the night.
W e were never born into matter but Loved into Being❣️
I meant to type…considerable spiritual attention!
And what a helpful Daily Lift today about talking to God.
Thank you Evan for Spirit View.❣️
Thank you Barbara. I too had a rough night with the wind outside and a frequent struggle with restless legs. I’m grateful for your lovely healing and the thought that came to you that you are not a victim. X
Ditto!
Thank you Evan and Barbara lovely workable messages of Truth.
We know error by how it lifts its hydra head so we don’t argue on its side but instead we stay focused on the side of Truth- how things really are and the Truth will always be revealed in us and this revelation heals. (loosely paraphrased from S&H)
Thank you Linda to remind us the Truth/ rock
By your description !
Thank you Evan and Barbara for what.has been a needed treatment for me and my grandchildren. The Truth is always true – a proven fact. My grandson has been learning about the word pure at school and we have been seeing ourselves and all around us as pure.
I am very grateful for SpiritView and all who contribute.
So many of us have pride with the scientific statement of being, but I have had two practitioners say that this isn’t necessarily a good thing to pray with, as it is a “statement of summation” rather than a statement of healing truth as it is comparing the material with the spiritual, whereas, as you have said, above, Evan, we need to stick with ONLY, the truth of our spiritual reality, and not really give any time or thought to the material picture. I never really quite agreed with what those two practitioners said before, however, now that I’ve read what you have said above, it makes perfect sense
Despite that, of course, we have all heard so many testimonies of people who have found healing going through the scientific statement of being, but I guess when you are not having the results, then we may well be giving too much attention to getting rid of “the thing – the problem “ and focusing on it so much that we are giving it more reality . in addition, as I’m sure that all of us who have done class have been taught, STICK WITH THE ABSOLUTE, NOT THE RELATIVE!
Thank you Diane for sharing that. I have read many testimonials from people who have had healing with the scientific statement of being. However when I read it I just don’t get it. I’ve felt there must be something wrong with my understanding. After reading what you wrote I went back and took another look at it. This time I could see two different things being said. One was describing what matter is and the other what Spirit is. I separated them out into two different paragraphs, one about Spirit and the other about matter. Now it makes sense to me. Thank you!
Diane thank you for your insights. I especially appreciated, “”…stick with ONLY the truth of our spiritual reality, and not really give any time or thought to the material picture.” I was definitely getting enmeshed earlier today with the material picture of a work situation that seems to be “appearing” again. I thought I had seen the healing but I guess there’s more for me to listen to and learn about God’s understanding of things.
But getting into the weeds of the what-if’s and should I say this or that, or other forms of human outlining is truly a failure method, very painful, and leaves out the fact that there is no lapse from nor return to Harmony, Harmony is the fact. That is a paraphrase from P. 470 S&H, the actual quote is
“…Science knows no lapse from nor return to harmony, but holds the divine order or spiritual law, in which God and all that He creates are perfect and eternal, to have remained unchanged in its eternal history.”
I meant to type PRAYED with the scientific statement of being – – – not pride!!
I got a jolt when I read the word “pride” used in that statement. I believe that word is very fitting. It is not enough to merely regurgitate words of another’s explaining. It is clear in these blog entries the lack of understanding of so many of us, coupled with a pride of not allowing others (or even ourselves) to know that “I just do not get it”. (which I do see often as the block to healing.) Jesus instructed us to ” work out your OWN salvation ” I have seen others, and I have myself been so desperate for a healing that I put ALL my hope in the pract. Lazily lying around waiting for the healing to occur. Being class taught does not automatically make one a healer just as turning the age of 18 does not automatically make one a mature adult. Go directly to God, wholeheartedly, with a sense of surrender and receptivity for understanding (which is Truth/healing). I thought this blogger was exposing the naked emperor. Pride goeth before a fall. xoxox
Let go and Let God.
Ha ha! No “Love” I wasn’t being quite that clever..It was a typo..I meant to type “PRAYED with”—- not pride!
Thank you so much for these daily inspirations. They’re so helpful! As I read today’s post, I thought of this from S&H where Mrs. Eddy says, “in the quiet sanctuary of earnest longings, deny sin and plead God’s Allness.” Occasionally I get so wrapped up in denying the sin that it starts to become more real instead of less. Often that healing thought is much more effective if I remember to reverse the words in that sentence and start with knowing God’s Allness first. Then the idea of sin just dissolves into its native nothingness. God ALWAYS comes first!!
Evan, this is excellent. It clarifies for me what MBE meant when she said, “there is too much denial, and not enough affirmation” (from one of the recollections in We Knew Mary Baker Eddy, which I can’t put my finger on at this moment so it might not be an exact quote). Thank you!
This is so clear of how we are to pray. Thank you!
Thank you, Evan, just what I needed to be reminded of this morning. We’re really not fixing matter since there is none,
Always so grateful.
Thank you, Evan! Your explanation is so clear. I am very grateful for how you share clearly what we need to express when struggling with working to make our demonstration.
I thank you, Evan, and everyone else. What a wonderful way to start my day.
Thank you, Evan. A very helpful blog. And thank you to others for your honesty. This article dovetails with the conversation.
https://journal.christianscience.com/shared/view/2dw1vmcyh24?s=copylink
Thank you N, for the link to a profoundly helpful and insightful article on this topic. I have a printed copy of the article that I have turned to for years. One of the clarifications I find inspiring in the author’s healing is the inspiration that there is no healthy material version of his ankle either, not just that as a spiritual idea he cannot have an unhealthy one. It reminds me strongly of MBE saying, “Health is not a condition of matter, but of Mind; nor can the material senses bear reliable testimony on the subject of health.” (S&H page 120) Rather astonishing to material logic, but perfectly on point to remind us of what the Scientific Statement of Being declares, asserts, and yes, summarizes: all is Spirit and “therefore man is not material but spiritual.” This is the fundamental truth of CS and the basis for all healing. I am so grateful for Christian Science.
Excellent article N, thanks so much for sharing it!
Ifr Mea. Eeddy has the Sciengtific Statement off being read every Sunday
it’s value cannot be diminished.
This made me smile when I came across it. Love the visuals and message, which really is for all ages…I’m putting on my goggles! 🙂
“Spiritual reality goggles”:
https://www.christianscience.com/media/youth-media-except-images/videos/spiritual-reality-goggles
Thank you dear J that was awesome, especially liked when the goggles showed him the true qualities of the “school bully.” I’m putting my goggles on too, we can all do this. I love looking at CS materials aimed at young people, so simple for children of all ages (all of us) to understand and apply.
Today’s Spiritview is so instructive. A dear friend and practitioner once told me the ratio of affirmations to denials should be ten to one. That is, ten affirmations for every denial. I don’t count when praying, but this counsel makes clear where the balance and focus of our thought should be. Much love to all.
This message is so timely for me as well. Thank you Evan. You always bring such light to thought.
This SpiritView message is great. Thank you
Thank you very much, dear Evan for your wonderfully correcting spiritual view today!
Yes, what your patient said first, she was still admitting that there is an error to get rid of.
This morning I thought the same what Ruth mentions. To pray honestly and deeply with the Scientific Statement of Being by Mary Baker Eddy, which she writes in Science and Health, is admitting the absolute divine truth only, i.e. that all is eternal Mind and it`s eternal manifestation as God is all in all!
Sometimes I could think the same than your patient, Evan, but meanwhile I stick firmly to God and pray the SSB very consciously, which says clearly that God is all in all, and that therefore all is Spirit and all is spiritual including God`s beloved creation MAN.
O here are so many inspiring and interesting, helpful comments and again very good articles – thank you a l l very very much. It`s all very needed including Evan’s SV !
This is great! Thank you Evan!
Remember the stack of counterfeit twenty dollar bills. Each one has an error which tries to trick you in believing it is Real . If you keep looking at and analyzing each one, you will never understand what is true. But if you study an authentic, true twenty dollar bill, you will be able to dismiss all the counterfeits as lies, worthless, not to be believed.
thank you J for the video ‘Spiritual reality googles’ I have always struggled to see the things around me in a Spiritual way, this has certainly opened my eyes. to revert to the simple teachings often helps. thank you.