ONE OF the vital functions of true prayer is the raising of the level of consciousness to a higher state or plane where Spirit may operate more effectively.

In the story of Jesus Christ as told by Mark, you will recall; as stated in the 6th chapter, that the twelve disciples were sent forth to preach and to heal. They went out two by two, and Jesus Christ gave them authority over unclean spirits. After the rehearsal of many directions to them in the first part of the chapter we note the statement of their accomplishments on this mission, given in the 13th verse as follows:

“And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.” Later in Mark’s account (chapter 9) we find that a man whose son was an epileptic had brought his boy to the nine disciples who did not go with Jesus when he took Peter, James, and John into the mount of transfiguration, and these nine disciples could not heal the boy.

Returning from the mountain and arriving at this scene of confusion, Jesus, after some questions as to the boy’s history, rebuked the unclean spirit, saying, “Thou deaf and dumb spirit, I command thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him,” and he came out. After raising the boy up and sending him away with his rejoicing father, Jesus went into the house, where his disciples asked him privately, “How is it that we could not cast it out?” And Jesus said unto them, “This kind can come out by nothing, save by prayer.”

Here is a wonderful example of raising the consciousness when there is a problem awaiting solution. This case of the boy was what we might call today “a chronic case” of congenital mental twist which dated back into the boy’s early childhood, and the anointing of oil by these disciples, or anything they attempted to do in their personal ignorance or low level of consciousness, had no effect on the “demon” whatsoever.

But regardless of the minute details as to the nature of the disease and its causes, etc., one thing is certainly outstanding here and that is the recognition by Jesus of the fact that the consciousness