The test of all prayer

"The test of all prayer lies in the answer to these questions: Do we love our neighbor better because of this asking? Do we pursue the old selfishness, satisfied with having prayed for something better, though we give no evidence of the sincerity of our requests by living consistently with our prayer?"

This text (found in the book Science & Health) completely changed the way I was recently praying about 3 upcoming public speaking engagements that I was dreading. Encountering it was really like a smack in the face. I had been so focused on my own fears and trying to overcome them that I was failing this most basic test (as Mrs. Eddy phrased it) of all prayer. It caused me to completely rethink things - taking my thought off myself and instead onto praying to answer the needs of the different audiences I would be addressing. What would bless them? what could I say that would help them? Refocusing on these 2 questions changed everything (including most of my PowerPoint slides).

Almost a week has gone by now since I completed the last (and longest and most complex) address. What a stark contrast between these 3 events and previous ones. Because I took my concerns off myself, turned my prayer to focus on blessing my audience, the events were satisfying, successful, and helped the audience understand things important to them in our work together.

Think how this test applies to the Lord's Prayer. Immediately you notice that the Lord's prayer is unselfish. It doesn't say "me," "my," or "I" anywhere in it. It is always "our" or "us" - it includes everyone, all of creation. It is unselfish. It seeks to bless, heal, and save everyone. It is not "My Father which art in heaven" it is "Our Father." It is not "Give me this day my daily bread" it is "Give us this day our daily bread." When you pray the Lord's Prayer, you pray to heal the world, to correct the seeming imposition of evil and separation for everyone - which of course includes you in that healing.

This is a key point, the true test of all prayer. And as I learned with my little public speaking challenge, it makes all the difference.