Brushing my hair on a day like any other, I noticed a lump at the top of my scalp. It was tender and felt rather large. My first thought was, “What is this?” – a question that can bring a sense of dread.

As someone who’s found through many experiences that prayer brings about healing, I quickly turned to God for an answer that would give me a confidence-bringing assurance of His love.

In Christian Science I’ve come to see how prayer that is specifically seeking a healing is more than simply asking. It is the desire to listen for and affirm what is true about God and therefore all of us (in this case, me), as God’s creation. Based on the key insight in the Bible that “God created man [everyone] in his own image” (Genesis 1:27), I understood that as the image of God, divine Spirit, I was not made of material components but entirely spiritual, holy, and good.

Understanding ourselves in that light, we come to see that there is no basis for fear, harm, or discomfort to encroach on the wholeness and health of God’s children – which includes all of us! God is infinite Life itself and expresses Himself in all that represents Life, meaning He is the only creator of each of us.

Throughout the day, each time I gathered my hair through my fingers, I deliberately pulled my hand back, rather than feeling around the top of my head to check whether the lump was still there. In doing so I wasn’t avoiding the situation. I was praying earnestly. I was affirming that the only thoughts that could come to me are God’s thoughts, representing health, comfort, and peace of mind.

“Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures” by Mary Baker Eddy, who discovered Christian Science, defines “angels” in terms of thoughts. It describes them as: “God’s thoughts passing to man; spiritual intuitions, pure and perfect; the inspiration of goodness, purity, and immortality, counteracting all evil, sensuality, and mortality” (p. 581). Knowing that God, the divine Mind, was constantly passing these healing thoughts to me inspired me as I continued to pray.

Another element in this healing was knowing God, divine Love, was right there with me, inspiring and comforting me. Christian Science explains that Christ, the divine nature Jesus expressed, is forever with us, assuring us of God’s love and care. “Science and Health” clarifies this when it says, “Christ is the true idea voicing good, the divine message from God to men speaking to the human consciousness” (p. 332). Elsewhere, “Science and Health” defines “Christ” as “the divine manifestation of God, which comes to the flesh to destroy incarnate error” (p. 583). We can think of this “error” as a mistake about God and His creation. I wasn’t the mistake – God’s children are eternally perfect and complete – but that lump was a mistaken sense of me! It was a misunderstanding of my real, spiritual identity.

While sitting and talking on the phone early the next day, twisting my hair in common fashion, I noticed there was no longer any discomfort. I knew the healing was complete. Indeed, the lump was completely gone.

Just like a dear friend we count on, God is always by our side and on our side. In fact, as God’s likeness, we can never be separated from Him! God is always giving us the thoughts, confidence, and sweet assurance of His presence that we need to meet the demands of the day – whether the help needed is physical, financial, moral, or social.

Science and Health captures this promise in these wonderful words: “Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need” (p. 494).