ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE TO THEM THAT BELIEVE

WHEN the disciples of Jesus asked, "What must we do that we may work the works of God?" all the reply that Jesus gave was, "Believe," and this was the substance of all his instruction. Set your thoughts in a certain direction; make your mind to hold thoughts that believe in the Good as possible. That is all that is necessary for us to do to increase our belief, to extend the boundaries of what we believe to be possible.

All that we are now is the result of our believing; every action and word shows forth what we have been believing, and are now holding in mind.

When you life down at night you believe you will arise in the morning; when you walk, every step you take you do so through the exercise of faith, believing that you will be supported: so all things that you do are simply pictures of your faith, or what you are believing in.

Your powers of believing are exercised in three ways : by thinking, by speaking, by doing. Thought is the causative power, words and deeds are the fruit of your thinking.

Keep the thoughts upon believing in the Good, and your words and deeds will conform to your thoughts. These should be one and the same always. It is not enough to think aright, but also we must speak aright, and act aright. When you are trying to believe in the reality of the presence of your desire, do not let the lips speak as though there were any other presence than Good. See that all your words and deeds are consistent with your thoughts.

 " What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them."

What things soever! That is, it makes no difference for what you ask; if you will believe, you shall receive.

But if you are doubting in your heart as to whether God is willing you should receive, then indeed you will not receive. Have no doubt in your mind of God's willingness to give you any good thing that you would give yourself. Jesus taught us to think that God is just as willing to give us good gifts as is any earthly father. If you, as a child, were asking yourself, as a father, for any good thing, and the father in you would be willing to grant you that which you ask, then you must also think God is willing to give you what you desire. Cannot the same power that grants you your wish protect you from any evil that might seem to come through receiving the good you desire? Have no doubt of any kind in the heart, no doubt of the reasonableness of your request or whether it is good in God's eyes, no doubt of God's willingness to give—" for verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain. Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith."

Our faith must be such that it cannot be moved by appearances, and it must persist when impossibilities seem to face us. (^'Lord, I believe; help thou my unbelief " is our prayer, and it means, put away from us all doubt, all distrust, all discouragement, and establish us in the belief in the presence of All-Good.,

There was once a woman who demonstrated just what was the belief that we must have in order to get the answer to our prayer. It is said of her that she was blind—totally without sight. She heard of a man whose prayers were healing all for whom he prayed, and when she heard of him a strong faith arose in her heart that his prayer would heal her. Her faith was stupendous, and so strongly did it possess her soul that at last she said that she must go to him. He lived in a town some miles distant—an obscure shoemaker plying his trade daily, and praying for all who asked him. She went to him with a heart strong in the belief that immediately after his prayer she would see. He prayed. She opened her eyes fully expecting to see, but she did not. She was amazed, stunned—she could not understand it.

She left the shoemaker in a dazed state of mind, pondering over the Master's words, "Whatsoever things ye desire, pray, believing, and ye shall receive." All the long journey home she tried to find wherein her faith had been lacking, when suddenly she realized that her believing had found its limit because of appearances, and she had held it only because of something that was to come by it, whereas she must have faith no matter what the appearances, and not be moved. So she determined to believe that God had healed her, and she would hold to the thought "I can see" forever, and never let appearances move her from believing that God had given her her sight.

She went home, and was met by her expectant family, to whose inquiry she answered, ** I can see," and great was their rejoicing. But soon they saw she was just the same after her return as before she went to the healer. To their questions as to why she said such things when she did not manifest sight, she replied, *' I am following my Master's instructions to believe that I have received what I desire, and I shall never speak or act contrary to what I am determined to believe." So she went on, and would never let any one speak to her, or act toward her as though she were blind. At times it seemed almost more than she could do, but never would she be moved, she declared, if she had to go on believing against appearances all the rest of her natural life. At times the family feared her mind had been affected, and she had much to do to withstand their fears for her sanity.

One night not very long after her return home, as she was lying in bed thinking upon her determination to believe in spite of all opposition, suddenly there was a glimmer before her eyes. She leaped up in bed and cried, " I see ! indeed, I see ! Bring a light, for I do see." The family thought, "Now she has gone crazy." But they brought the light, and she proved then and there that she saw, and she has been seeing ever since.

That was the faith she had to manifest—to know no limit to her faith; no appearances could cause her to doubt, or to let disappointment or discouragement possess her and displace her beautiful faith.

If you have asked God for anything and you have not received, do not think God refuses it to you. No, the only trouble is you have not asked aright. "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss." God has not heard you, for it is written, " God heareth not sinners " —that is. He hears not mistaken prayers.

Do not stop praying, but change your prayers. Pray without ceasing, pray in every right way you can think of; at last you will speak the words that reach God, the words that are the substance out of which the answer to your prayer is made. For this is true: Out of your own words are formed the manifestation you desire to show forth.

Never give up praying—never give up believing in the possibility of having that which you desire. "Increase our faith." Increase our beliefs in the possibility of all good things being now manifest. Break down the boundaries of our belief. No matter how great our faith may seem to be, make it a little greater, and then look out that our words and actions are consistent with what we are determined to believe.

All things are possible to him that will believe.

 " He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also."

This is the whole doctrine of Jesus: Believe,

As you will believe, so it is unto you. As a man believeth in his heart, so is he.

ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE TO THEM THAT BELIEVE

by ANNIE RIX MILITZ

1905