Photo illustrated by Conscious Lifestyles Radio
A guest post written by Robert B. Clark, Committee on Publication for Florida
Prayer, the act of humbling one’s self before a higher power and seeking wisdom, always offers solutions. There’s never any lack of unhealthy situations that are begging for prayerful solutions. One of the most unhealthy and ugliest today is homeless children.
The Christian Science church I belong to here in Clearwater, Florida recently voted to start a matching fund to help homeless children in our area. Money came in immediately and our Sunday School children will be putting together bags of school supplies, toiletries, etc. We did this because we discovered that the number of homeless children in our area is five times greater than five years ago and growing worse by the day.
Our church members, a small but friendly and committed group, believe that prayer and health go together. When we see an unhealthy situation, whether it’s a lack of physical health or an unhealthy situation in our town, we pray. And we get answers.
The Bible Lesson shared at our Sunday service the day we voted to start the matching fund was about Solomon and his wisdom. One of the lessons for me was that the “Wisdom of Solomon” wasn’t so much his as God’s. He sought wisdom humbly from a higher source. And he was rewarded not only with wisdom, but with great riches and a solid international reputation, which brought rulers from other continents to him, marveling at both his wisdom and his riches.
Children in need of homes and people in need of health can all benefit from prayer. For me, humble prayer seeking divinely inspired solutions, has always been effective. Whether it’s a church reaching out to its community or a person reaching out for healing, prayer is providing answers today just like it did thousands of years ago in Jerusalem.
So what answers does prayer have for our national health care dilemma, which, like the homeless children, is reaching out? Soaring health care costs, which currently account for one sixth of every dollar spent in the U.S., have now reached $2.7 trillion and are still soaring. Are we any healthier for all the spending?
A recent Newsweek article titled, “One Word Can Save Your Life: No!” sheds some light on where some of that $2.7 trillion goes. “Experts estimate that the U.S. spends hundreds of billions of dollars every year on medical procedures that provide no benefit or a substantial risk of harm” the article tells us.
Praying for wisdom when faced with local or national crises that threaten our individual or collective health makes sense. It’s open-ended. There’s no limit to what you can pray about…or what the results might offer. It’s inexpensive and not dependent on personal or global economies. And most importantly it works.
The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life reports that fully one-third of us have experienced or witnessed a divine healing of illness or injury. In rough numbers that’s well over 100 million of us who have resolved health dilemmas through some kind of prayer.
It’s time to wake up to the power of prayer on every level. Our children need us to do that.
Link to Bob Clark’s blog.
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Nice to hear from Bob in that Sunny State of Florida. I love how you started with the immediate need in helping children, going right into the bigger picture of health care reform in your article. We can all start with the immediate, taking that first step — wherever we find ourselves.
Mahalo, Seaward
Thank you, Bob, for that wonderful blog on homeless children and prayer as an answer. I will take it tomorrow to our church’s Healing Practice Meeting focused on how our church is relevant today. Your church is a great example!
Yes, Prayer is needed for the homeless showing up at our Churches and Reading Room doors looking for refuse and shelter and food. This leaves so many decisions to be made as to how to support the Police, the different agencies and volunteer groups who reach out to so many needed ones. Help one and more seem to come. Can our church property and church volunteers cover the needs? Executive Boards and Memberships are praying for answers and listening for ideas as to how to help. There seems to be so many children and people living on the streets. And more people living on the street are expected here in California as parolees are released in a new release program. We are praying for wisdom and looking for answers out our way. Thank you, Bob, for this article. Much to think and pray about. This article was so timely for us. Ann Botts, Banning, CA Redlands, First Church in Redlands, CA
I loved the first line of your blog defining prayer. Your church’s devotion to humanity and your loving concern for the children in your community, who need special care, is very inspiring.
Thank you for sharing, not just your thoughtful words, but especially your compassionate deeds that meet the human need. Its an excellent example for all of us.