A while ago, I was encouraged to write down a list of things that I really wanted from the depths of my heart and to earnestly pray to God for them. I was promised that when I returned to the list later, I would be amazed at the results. Apparently, I did not do it right, because it was not my experience.
Honestly, the whole idea of having a list like that and using God to get what I wanted, made me feel uneasy. I guess that was the problem. Deep down, I knew it was wrong! I now see it as what I call will-worship, and it is not of God at all! How do I know? Because there are many Godless systems out there that use the same method. And apparently it works just fine for those that buy into it.
Yes, Jesus promised that "If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you." But surely this faith is not will-worship! Otherwise, we would have people moving mountains all over the place!
The chapter on Prayer in Science and Health is the clearest, most sensible explanation of this subject that I know of. Some highlights are:
- Prerequisite - faith that all things are possible to God, a spiritual understanding of Him, an unselfed love
- Trust our desires to Him so that they can be purified and exalted
- God is not an auditory ear!
- Can we inform the All-knowing of anything He does not already know?
- Should we expect divine Love to do more than He has already done?
This kind of thought will dissolve our own will and set us on solid ground. For myself, I feel more secure wanting to have God's will be done rather than my own! So the key is to take my will and give it to Him and thereafter to strive to know and do His will.