Pray the Divine Science Way by Rev. Christine Emmerling DD, 1/19/2025

My talk today is about praying the Divine Science way. Our Divine Science teachings began with healing. The founder of Divine Science, Malinda Cramer, in 1885 had a profound spiritual experience that led to her healing of an illness of her lungs that she had for some 20 plus years. This experience and those thereafter led her to discover what she later called Divine Science. Her spiritual experience is recorded in her own words and is published in Divine Science and Healing.

The teachings of Divine Science focus on the following two main practices: Silent Meditation and Prayer. While the two may seem very similar they do have their differences and purposes. Today we’re focusing on prayer, and next week will be on meditation the Divine Science way.

The Divine Science prayer, sometimes referred to as prayer treatment, scientific prayer or affirmative prayer, includes steps that help to focus the mind in truth, and to root out any false thinking, and then to affirm what is true. The purpose is for realigning our consciousness in truth to restore our mind, body, and soul to its true natural state.

First a little on the Principle of Divine Science that its prayer is based on. We start with the basic Principle of God as Omnipresence, Omniscience, and Omnipotence. Meaning, Infinite Spirit as all - everywhere present, an all knowing intelligence that is everywhere present, an all power that is pure love and all good that is everywhere present.

The Law of Expression is a trinity as God is cause, God is creator, and God is creation. All there is, is God and God in action. There is nothing outside of God; it is an all powerful, living intelligent presence, that is both visible and invisible. And, that I am, you are, everyone and all life are made in the image and likeness of this presence of God; that is whole, perfect and complete. That which is born of Spirit is Spirit; therefore we are spirit in expression, and spirit manifested. We are conscious beings awakening to our true nature.

That is truly an expanded view of ourselves and our life. We are no longer bound to the physical laws of this body, and their effects. We are no longer limited to the physical laws of this world, and their effects.

We live by the Law of Spirit. The power, the intelligence, knowledge, life, and love of God are at hand. Being one with God they are ours to express and share in this world. We call this co-creation. We are co-creating with God when we go into prayer. It is a drawing forth from within us to bring forth out and enjoy in this world.

The question arises then, if we are so powerful, so intelligent, then why are our lives not working the way we would like to see them? We may be experiencing illness, loneliness, poverty, fear, anger, and we ask why? The teachings of Divine Science tells us it is because we believe that we are separated from our source, separated from God.

Our individual sense of I, as this body, gives us this feeling of being separate from God. We look out into the world and see that everyone and everything is separate from us; even the air we breathe. Yet this same air is all around us and within us. Even our skin breathes in this same air.

Then to know that this same air is connecting and living through all life. It is connecting us all together. At the invisible level there is no separation. If we just look at the atoms of every cell of life, they are all busily whirling as a whole - not as separate entities. We are like that in our oneness.

So we find that what we are healing is our concept of God, our concept of self, and our false beliefs based in duality and being separate from God, our source. When this is healed, our lives and world are also healed. It doesn’t matter what the condition is that we want healed, it is all about our Oneness in God. In God there is no duality; there is only that which is good; love, life, power, joy, abundance, wisdom, knowledge, and understanding.

Jesus said, “to pray as though you have already received.” Therefore, our prayers are not of asking or pleading, but affirming as already having, and being grateful for that which we have received. We are seeing through the eyes of Truth. We are taking our attention away from the problem, or condition, to the Truth of being or situation.

When we prepare to pray it is helpful to close our eyes. That is to turn off our outer senses to the appearance world. That is to refocus our thoughts from outward to inward. This is so we can go within to our holy temple; where we can experience our oneness of God. Here we receive truth, inner guidance, inspiration, and restoration of our body and soul.

Next we focus on our breathing with deep relaxing breaths. I like to add “with every breath I breathe, is the life and breath of God that lives and moves through my whole being; mind, body and soul - pure love pure light.” When the mind is quiet, we are ready to move into prayer.

The 1st step is called Recognition. It is recognizing the Omnipresence of God. Acknowledging this all presence that is everywhere and is of everything. We can say, “All is God both visible and invisible.” Here we expand our understanding of God such as, “God is good, God is all power, God is health, God is present right here and now.”

The 2nd step is called Identification. Now we identify ourselves with this Divine Presence. We can say, “Right here and now I am one with God.” We expand upon that which we know of as our oneness, such as “God is my very life.” or “I am whole and complete in God.”

The 3rd step is called a denial or creative denial. In this step we flush out what is not true. We do this so there is no conflict of thought and feeling when we affirm what is true. We do this by denying, or renouncing our false beliefs, concerns and fears that we are concerned about. There is no truth to anything in this world that would separate us from our good. We avoid naming, or describing the condition or problem because doing so only reenforces the concern in our mind. We can say, “There is no Spiritual Law that supports illness.” Or, “Regardless of the appearance I am whole.”

The 4th step is called Affirmation. Immediately following the denial, we affirm the truth of God, and of our self or concern. We can say, “Therefore, illness is a non power, and is powerless in the face of truth.” “I am whole and complete in God today and forever more.” “The truth of my being is wholeness.” Then we pause and check within our self so see If there is anything else to address for this concern. If so, we repeat Steps 3 & 4, denial and affirmation until all doubts are cleared from our consciousness.

The 5th step is called Acceptance and Gratitude. We accept these words of truth. We give our thanks. We are grateful for knowing this truth, and that this prayer is already fulfilled. We can say, “I accept these words of truth. I am so ever grateful for the power of God’s love. Thank you, Divine Presence of God.”

The 6th step is called Release. We let our words go into the law of love in sure fulfillment. We let God do its mighty works in and through us. We can say, “I now let go and let God. So it is, Amen.” Once released, we rest for a while in the silence, so these words take hold in consciousness. In the silence is where the real transformation takes place. We then refrain from thinking or speaking of the concern. If it arises in thought, then we go back to prayer, or remind ourselves that we already released it.

We will now go into prayer following the steps just given. For this prayer we will use the appearance of an illness. I invite us to get comfortable, relax, and close our eyes. We will now begin with some good deep breathing.

The all loving presence of God is everywhere present. This Omnipresence of God is life; both invisible and visible. There is one power, this power is all good, and is pure love in action. I am one with this all good that is God. The very life that I am is of God. God is expressing in, through, and as my very life. I am made in the image and likeness of God; Divine Spirit expressing life - eternal life through and as the life that I am.

Regardless of any appearances of illness, there is no Principle, no Spiritual Law to sustain it. It is not of Truth, and has no life of its own. It is a non power and is causeless.

The truth is now being revealed in, through and as me. Therefore health is my true natural state right here and now. I am vitally alive. I am enthused with life. I am physically strong. I am mentally alert. I joyfully attend to the tasks at hand. I am enjoying every minute of life. Life is good. Life so very good to me. My good is overflowing.

I accept these words of truth knowing they are alive in me. Thanks be to God from whom all blessings flow. God within me is doing its mighty works. I give thanks to God for this life. I give thanks for this unwavering truth that sets me free.

I release this prayer knowing it is already done in the Mind of God. What is true of me is also true of everyone everywhere. Through the Law of Love it is done. Let us take a moment in silence... So it is. Amen.

For a personal prayer by one of our ministers, you may go to our website www.communityofinfitespirit.org and click on “Our Services.”