Joseph Murphy was born in Ireland, the son of a private boy's school headmaster and raised a Roman Catholic. He studied for the priesthood and joined the Jesuits. In his twenties, an experience with healing prayer led him to leave the Jesuits and move to the United States, where he became a pharmacist in New York (having a degree in chemistry by that time). Here he attended the Church of the Healing Christ (part of the Church of Divine Science), where Emmet Fox had become minister in 1931. In the mid 1940s, he moved to Los Angeles, where he met Religious Science founder Ernest Holmes, and was ordained into Religious Science by Holmes in 1946, thereafter teaching at the Institute of Religious Science. A meeting with Divine Science Association president Erwin Gregg led to him being reordained into Divine Science, and he became the minister of the Los Angeles Divine Science Church in 1949, which he built into one of the largest New Thought congregations in the country. In the next decade, Murphy married, earned a PhD in psychology from the University of Southern California and started writing. After his first wife died in 1976, he remarried to a fellow Divine Science minister who was his longstanding secretary. He died in 1981.

Chapter 1 : How to Use the Power of Prayer

How Your Mind Heals You

There is a Healing Presence within you which heals all manner of disease. To use this Healing Presence requires knowledge of God and the way He works.

Spiritual healing refers to wholeness, completeness, and perfection.

Science means knowledge of laws and principles; it means systematized and coordinated knowledge.

Knowledge of this Healing Principle is taken directly from the Bible. The means by which we unlock the mysteries and reveal the hidden meaning of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation is the science of symbology and the science of the Hebrew alphabet.

The Bible deals with spiritual and mental laws. It recognizes the fact that many of the characters, such as Jesus, Moses, Elijah, Paul, and others were real men who lived on earth; nevertheless, they also represent states of mind within all of us. The Bible is a spiritual and psychological textbook.

Through the study and application of mental laws, you can find the way to health, harmony, peace, and prosperity; scientific prayer is the practice of the Presence of God.

Three Steps in Healing

The first step: Think of God as the only Presence and the only Power; God is a universal, creative Spirit present everywhere—the Living Spirit Almighty fixed in your own heart. Dwell on some of the things you know to be true about God; say quietly, for example: “He is Infinite Intelligence, Absolute Goodness, Infinite Power, Indescribable Beauty, Boundless Love, Infinite Wisdom, and All-powerful.”

The second step: Forgive everyone; send loving thoughts to the whole world. Say, “I fully and freely forgive everyone now, and I go free.” Add sincerely from your heart, “I mean this; it is true,” You do not have any mental reservations.

The third step: Claim calmly and lovingly that the Infinite Healing Presence of God within you is now healing your body, making it whole, pure, and perfect. Declare to yourself, “I believe this; I accept it; I know the healing is taking place now.” Give thanks for the harmony and peace that are yours.

“God in the midst of you is mighty to heal.”

Practice of the Presence of God

The omnipresence of God means that God is present at every moment of time and every point of space. To practice the Presence of God all day long is the key to harmony, health, peace, joy, and a fullness of life. Begin now to see God in everyone and in everything.

Three Steps in Practicing the Presence

The first step: Accept the fact that God is the only Presence and the only Power; He is the very Life and Reality of you.

The second step: Realize the Presence of God in all of the members of your family and in every person you meet. Salute the Divinity from this moment forward in everyone who crosses your path.

The third step: Realize, know, and claim that everything you are and everything you see, whether it is a tree, dog, or cat, is a part of God’s expression; this is the greatest thing you can do; it is powerful beyond words.

Sit down quietly two or three times a day, and think along these lines: God is all there is; He is all in all. Begin to realize that the Divine Presence is within you and within everyone around you. “Seek, and ye shall find. Seek ye first Kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Change Fear to Faith

Whenever fear enters your mind, it is a signal for action; do something about it immediately; never surrender to your fear. Your fear is really a desire for something better; it is a longing for freedom and peace of mind. Where will you get your freedom and peace of mind? You will find it in the thoughts of peace, freedom, and poise.

If a man loses his way in the woods at night, fear seizes him; but knowing that God is all-wise and knows the way out, he changes from fear to faith. He is now changing from the mood of fear to the mood of confidence and peace in the only Presence and the only  Power. He has changed his mental attitude; this is often referred to as the Angle of God’s Presence which leads him out into safety. The man who is lost turns to God in prayer and recognition, and says to himself quietly and lovingly, “God is guiding me now. He is a lamp unto my feet.” He trusts and   believes in this inner Light; this is the Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

One with God is a majority! There is only fear and love. Fear is Love in reverse. Love frees; it gives; it is the Spirit of God. Love builds the body. Love is also an emotional attachment. So fall in love with peace, gentleness, success, goodwill, and harmony, for this form of love casts out fear.

“God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dewelleth in God, and God in him.”

Three Steps in Banishing Fear

The first step: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” The Lord means the Presence of God within you. There is no power to challenge God, for God is Almighty. The thing you fear has no power; it is a false belief; it is the bogeyman under the stairs and has no reality. Repeat these wonderful words: “God hath not given us the Spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

The second step: You overcome fear by faith in God and all things good. Faith is not creed, a dogma or a religion. Faith is a way of thinking; it is a positive mental attitude. Faith is vital; it is a deep, abiding conviction in God. Faith is the greatest medicine in the world! Take this spiritual medicine of faith now! Look at these words; repeat them: “I do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. God is with me now. God and His Holy Angles are always with me. I am surrounded by the circle of God’s Love.” These words are now reflected in your brain and deeper mind. Repeat these powerful statements, and all fear will leave you.

The third step: When fear thoughts come, think of God; imagine you are now resting in the arms of Almighty God in the same way as you rested in your loving mother’s arms. Say lovingly to your Father within, “Now, God, I am going about my business, and you are going with me. Your Love, Light, and power comfort, guide, and bless me in all ways. I love my Father, and my Father loves me; my Father is God! It is wonderful!”

Overcome Worry

Worry is due to a lake of faith in God. The person who worries is always expecting things to go wrong. He broods or worries over a great many things that never happen. Such a person tells you all the reasons why something bad should happen, and not one reason why something good should happen. This constant worry debilitates his entire system, resulting in physical and mental disorders.

Your worry can be cured. Do not spend time looking at your troubles or problems; cease all negative thinking. Your mind will not work when it is tense. It relives the strain to do something soothing and pleasant when you are presented with a problem. You do not fight a problem, but you can overcome it.

To release pressure, take a drive; go for a walk; play solitaire; read a favorite chapter of the Bible, such as the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, or 1 Corinthians 13; or turn to the forty-sixth Psalm; read it over carefully and quietly several times. An inner calm will steal over you, and you are ready to pray.

Three Steps in Overcoming Worry

The first step: Every morning when you awaken turn to God in prayer as you would to your loving Father. Relax the body; then talk to God, the only Presence and the only Power. Become as a little child; this means that you realize God is within you; you trust Him completely. “God in the midst of you mighty to heal.”

The second step: You know in your heart that you can present your problems or difficulties to his Power, and that the Wisdom of God will solve them for you. Say lovingly: “Thank you, Father, for this wonderful day. It is God’s day; it is filled with joy, peace, happiness, and success for me. I look forward with a happy expectancy to this day. The Wisdom and Understanding of God will govern me during the entire day. God is my partner; everything I do will turn out in a wonderful way. I believe in God; I trust God.”

The third step; You are full of confidence and faith. Now let go; and let God work through you. Remember as you go through your day: “This is the day God made for me! There is Divine activity taking place in my life.”

Desire – The Gift of God

God speaks to you through desire. Al things begin with desire; it is sometimes called the fountain of all action. As you read this, you have within you the urge or desire to be greater than you are. There is a Cosmic urge within you seeking expression. Life seeks to express its unity, wholeness, love, and beauty through you. You are an instrument of the Divine; you are a channel for Life and Love. You are here to release the imprisoned splendor within you.

Without desire you could not move from your chair. Man desires shelter, and he proceeds to build houses to protect himself from the inclemencies of the season. Man plants seeds of corn and wheat in the ground, because he desires food for his family and himself.

You have a supreme desire now; perhaps it is for health, true place, or abundance. Desire unduly prolongs results in frustration and sickness. To desire something good and wonderful over a long period of time, and not attain it, is to waste away in spirit and body. You should learn to realize your desire through prayer; the realization of your desire is your savior.

Three Steps in Realizing Your Desire

The first step; Your desire for harmony, peace, health, true place, wealth, etc., is the voice of God speaking to you. Say from your heart, “With God all things are possible.” God is the Living Spirit Almighty within you from which all things flow.

The second step: “I am aware of my desire; I know it exists in the Invisible for me. I claim it is mine now; I accept it in my own mind. I have released my desire into the Creative Medium within me, which is the source of all things. I claim and believe that my desire is now impressed in my deeper mind. What is impressed must be expressed; this is the way my mind works.”

The third step; “I now feel the reality of my fulfilled desire. I am at peace. I know in my heart that what I have accepted as true will come to pass. I rejoice and give thanks. My whole being thrills to the reality of the fulfilled desire. I am at peace. God is peace. Thank you, Father; it is done.”

Happy Marriage

“What god hath joined together, let no man put asunder.” A husband and wife should each be married to God and all things good. A husband and wife should never let the sun go down on their wrath. Never carry over from one day to another accumulated irritation arising from little disagreements. Be sure to forgive each other for any sharpness before you retire at night.

The answer to a happy marriage is for each one to see the Christ in the other; begin now to see the Presence of the Living God in each other. Say to yourself now, “I salute the Divinity in my husband” or “in my wife,” as the case may be. Say to your wife or husband, “I appreciate all you are doing, and I radiate love and goodwill to you all day long.”Do not take your marriage partner for granted; show your appreciation and your love.

Think appreciation and goodwill rather than condemnation, criticism, and nagging. Remember the injunction of the Bible, “Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.” The way to build a peaceful home and a happy marriage is upon the basis of love, beauty, harmony, mutual respect, faith in God, and in all things good.

Say from your heart, “My marriage is consecrated in prayer and love. A husband and wife should always pray together at least once a day, preferably at night before retiring; this will restore peace in the home and in the heart; for God is peace.

Three Steps to a Happy Marriage

The first step: In the beginning, God. The moment you awaken in the morning, claim God is guiding you in all ways. Send out loving thoughts of peace, harmony, and love to your marriage partner, to all members of the family, to and the whole world.

The second step: Say grace at breakfast. Give thanks for the wonderful food, for your abundance, and for all of your blessings. Make sure that no problem, worries, or arguments shall enter into the table conversation; the same applies at dinner time. 

The third step: Husband and wife should alternate in praying each night. Keep the Bible close at hand. Read the 23rd, 91st 27th Psalms, the 11th Chapter of Hebrews, the 13th Chapter of 1 Corinthians, and other great texts of the New Testament before going to sleep. Say quietly, “Thank you, Father, for all the blessings of the day. God giveth his beloved sleep.”

The Secret of Peace of Mind

Communion with God is the way to peace of mind; this means turning to God in prayer and realizing that His Peace and Love are now flowing through your mind and heart. Prayer, or this silent communion with God within you, will change your character. Prayer makes you are different person.

The word prayer may be understood as including any form of communion with God whether vocal or mental. Peace of mind is achieved by getting a real sense of the presence of God within you. In trying to bring peace into lives of other, your personal opinion is usually wrong. By getting them to patch up their differences or arriving at a compromise to which they agree, there is no true peace, because they have not completely forgive each other. The best Way to heal quarrels of this nature is the silent way of prayer.

Realize that the wisdom, Love, and Peace of God are flowing through the minds and hearts of all concerned; the trouble will dissolve a wonderful way. “Blessed are the peacemaker; for they shall  be called the children of God.”

Three Steps to Peace of Mind 

The first step: Realize God is Peace, and that He dwells in the midst of you; then think of that inner peace as yours now. Say quietly several times: “The Peace of God that passeth all understanding now floods my and heart.”

The second step: Know that you have in your mind that which you constantly practice. Say frequently during the day, “I Know that peace of mind is mine, because I enthrone thoughts of peace, harmony, and goodwill in my mind; I live with these ideas all day long.”

The third step: Read the twenty-third Psalm every night; relax the body; say, “I now enthrone in my mind thoughts of peace, love, and goodwill. God is my shepherd, and God’s river of peace flows through me now. I lay me down in peace to sleep; for thou, Lord, only maketh me to dwell in safety.”

You can have a Better Future

Remember what James said; “Faith without works is dead.” You must demonstrate your faith. Faith is a way of thinking, an attitude of mind, a positive, affirmative approach toward life.

If you live, for example, in the joyous expectancy of the best, invariably the best will come to you. You are demonstrating to the world that your faith is in all things good.

Live in the firm conviction of your oneness with God, with Life, and with   the Universe. You will find yourself attracting to you wonderful people, greater property, and increased awareness of God’s Wisdom. Claim every day of your life that Divine Intelligence is directing your footsteps along the right path; Know that God is your source supply; He is the giver of every perfect gift. Realize that all of your needs are met, and that there is a Divine surplus.

To attain peace and harmony, say from your heart every morning as you arise, “God’s peace, the peace that passeth all understanding, fills my mind and heart.” Paul says that all things work together for good to them that love God. God and good are synonymous. You are in tune with all things God-like, and behold, “If any man be in Christ, be is a new creature.”

Three Steps to a Better Future

The first step: In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He will make plain thy path; trust also in Him, and believe in Him, and He will bring it to pass. Turn to God within you; claim that God is governing all of your affairs.

The second step: Realize that the way to get along with people and adjust yourself to life is to love them. Let your heart be motivated by love and goodwill toward all around you. Pray for the peace and prosperity of all those with whom you are associated.

The third step: Have a definite mental attitude of success. When presented with a problem, realize that the Infinite Intelligence of God is revealing to you the perfect plan and showing you the way you should go. As you go to sleep say, “God knows the answer.” Feel the joy of the answered prayer.

Overcome Irritation

“He whose spirit is without restraint, is like a city that is broken down and without walls.”  “He that ruleth his spirit is greater than he that taketh a city.”

In order that you might lead a full and happy life, control of the emotion is essential. To govern and control your emotions and temper tantrums, it is essential to maintain control over your thoughts. As a matter of fact, you cannot find peace any other way. Willpower or mental coercion will not do it. Forcing yourself to suppress your anger is not the way.

The answer is to enthrone God-like thoughts in your mind; busy yourself mentally with the concepts of peace, harmony, and goodwill. Keep firm control over your thoughts. Learn to substitute love for fear, and peace for discord.

You can direct your thoughts along harmonious lines. For example, if you see or hear of sometimes that disturbs or angers you instead, of giving way to anger or irritation, say automatically, “The peace of God that passeth all understanding is now flooding my mind, my body, and my whole being.” Repeat this phrase several times during the period of stress; you will find that all tension and anger disappear.

Fill your mind with Love, and the negative, thoughts cannot enter. When someone says something sharp or critical to you, think on a single statement of Truth, such as, “God is Love. He leadeth me beside the still waters.” Peace steals over you; you will radiate this peace.

Three Steps in Overcoming Irritation

The first step: As you awaken in the morning, say to yourself; “This is God’s day; it is a new day for me, a new beginning. The restoring, healing, soothing, loving power of God is flowing through me, bringing peace to my mind and body now and forevermore.”

The second step: Should some business problem or some person upset or irritate you, think immediately about His Holy Presence. Say, “God is with me all day. His peace, His Guidance, and His Love enable me to meet all problems calmly and peacefully.”

The third step: Radiate Love to all of your associate. Claim that they are doing their best. Say, “I wish them peace, harmony, and joy. I salute the God in them.” And lo and behold, God and His Love come forth!

Your Spiritual Rebirth

When the storm of life disturbs you, and it appears that your ship is about to founder, remember that it is time for you to awaken to the Christ within. This is how you become reborn spiritually: Recall to mind that God is within you, the very life of you. “Closer is He than breathing, nearer is He than hands than and feet.” Realize that “With God all things are possible.” Claim and know that the God-power within you is able to cope with any difficulty. Dwell on the peace and harmony of God were the difficulty is, and a perfect, Divine solution will follow.

If troubled, say, “Peace, be still!” The peace of God will steal over you. Turn your burdens (your problems) over to the God-Wisdom within you, knowing and believing that the perfect solution will come to you in God’s own way. When you do this with faith and confidence, the storm or anxiety will pass away, and a great calm will steal over you; this is the peace that passeth all understanding. If you are living in limitation and sickness, this is bondage and restriction; it means you are in the dark as to the higher side of life and your tremendous potentialities. When you catch a glimpse of a higher set of facts, the old way of thinking will be displaced; then your Christ or inner Life will rise from the dead, or limited state.

Enthrone the concepts of peace, harmony, and success in your mind; busy your mind with these things; you will find that your body and circumstance will reflect your inner, mental attitude; this is the new birth of freedom. Remove prejudices, deceit, and jealousies from your mind by opening your mind to the Light of God’s Love and inspiration. God’s Love revivifies and thrills you; this is the birth of God in you.

Three Steps to Your Spiritual Rebirth

The first step: “I saw a new haven and a new earth.” I know now that God’s Love springs in my soul. My heart feels the Presence of God, because I radiate Love and joy to all.

The second step: Any time a negative, fearful, critical thoughts comes to me, I say, “God is with me.” This kills it; then my soul is filled with Love toward all.

The third step: Remember always that God never changes. God is within you—your loving Father—saying, “Fear not, child, for all is thine!”