Know the Truth and the Truth Will Make You Free!

Last week, I had an experience that is a good example of how prayer works and how God works in our lives. I needed to replace light bulbs in a large ceiling fixture. The bulbs were enclosed within the fixture, so to access them I had to first remove the shade. I'd replaced bulbs in fixtures like this one before, but for some reason I could not figure out how to get the shade off this particular fixture. I tried pulling down, pushing sideways, twisting, and lifting up. I searched for a release button along the bottom, sides, and top. I tried everything I could think of. When I was thoroughly stumped, I'd go away for a period of time to let my frustration cool and then I'd come back and try all over again.

Finally, my human efforts exhausted, I decided to pray. This is how I prayed. First, I acknowledged that God is the divine Mind - the source of all wisdom, the creator of all, all-knowing, all-wise. I reasoned that the wisdom of God must include everything there is too know about this light fixture. I pondered these truths to see if I really understood and believed them, to see if I had any doubts. I felt that I was thoroughly persuaded of these truths.

Next, I acknowledged that since God had created me, as it says in the Bible, as His image and likeness, blessed, and very good, that I must include in my identity all I needed to know about that light fixture. I examined my thought about these points as well and concluded that I had no doubt of their truth.

My prayers didn't seem to result in any sudden, clear flash of insight. I felt calm and expectant, but the human situation hadn't changed. "Okay", I thought, "Now what do I do?" As I listened patiently for direction, the thought came to me that I couldn't solve the problem just standing there. I had to at least climb up on the ladder. So, up I went.

Perched on the ladder, I examined the light fixture again. I noticed that there was an inch or two of space between the top of the shade and the ceiling. In previous attempts to remove the shade, I had thrust my hands into this space and felt around for a screw or some type of latch that would release the shade. This time, I felt curiosity about what the top of the fixture actually looked like. Responding to that curiosity, I attempted to peer into the space. To get my eye in position to do this, I had to turn my head sideways and press the side of my face against the ceiling. Without thinking about it, I placed my hands on either side of the shade to steady myself. As a result of this maneuver, the shade of the fixture slid downwards in my hands exposing the light bulbs. It turned out that the shade simply needed to be pulled from the right position, in the right direction, with the right amount of force. Somehow, my previous attempts hadn't had that right combination.

Needless to say, I was very grateful that my prayers were answered! As I thought about this incident, I realized that I hadn't been conscious of receiving any specific instructions from God about what to do. I had simply responded, almost without thinking, to what seemed like my own impulses. Somehow, my human efforts had yielded to divine direction. What had changed?

The only difference between this attempt and my previous efforts to remove the fixture was that this time I began by thoughtfully praying and acknowledging the spiritual truth about God and man and I was thoroughly persuaded that these ideas were true. Jesus told his followers "Know the truth, and the truth shall make your free".

In her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mary Baker Eddy, a Christian healer, describes Jesus' prayers as "conscientious protests of Truth, - of man's likeness to God and of man's unity with Truth and Love." Further on in her book she writes: "Mentally and silently plead the case scientifically for Truth. You may vary the arguments to meet the peculiar or general symptoms of the case you treat, but be thoroughly persuaded in your own mind concerning the truth which you think or speak, and you will be the victor."

This effective form of prayer - sincerely knowing the spiritual truth about a situation - is universal. This prayer of deeply-felt truth can be applied by anyone, any where, under any circumstance. It can help change light bulbs - and it can heal the world!