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The
Lords Prayer
Matthew and Luke both
record the Lords Prayer, Matthew 6:9-13;
Luke 11:2-4. As Matthews rendering is a
little fuller, and the one ordinarily used in
worship, we shall use this as the basis of our
study. It reads as follows:
Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name.
Thy
kingdom comes.
Thy
will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give
us this day our daily bread.
And
forgive us our debts, as we forgive our
debtors.
And
lead us not into temptation,
But
deliver us from evil:
For
Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the
glory, forever. Amen.
An examination will show
that the prayer consists of seven petitions, with
an introduction, Our Father, and the
closing doxology, For Thine is the
kingdom. It falls into two main sections.
The first section the first three
petitionsis concerned chiefly with the
glory of God; the second sectionthe four
latter petitionsis concerned with
mans need.
At the time when Christ
taught His disciples the Lords Prayer, He
was discussing the manner in which the Pharisees
gave alms. They did this in a manner to attract
attention to themselves, that they may have
glory of men. Matthew 6:2. They would even
sound a trumpet before them to make sure that all
would know what they were doing and would give
them glory. But this acclaim of men would be all
the reward they would get. Said Christ,
They have their reward. Verse 2. He
then gave men this advice, Let not they
left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That
thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which
seeth in secret Himself shall reward thee
openly. Verses 3,4.
By a natural transition,
He then discussed prayer. This also should be
done in secret.
When thou prayest,
enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut
thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret;
and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward
thee openly. Verse 6.
Alone
in Prayer
During the first thirty
years of Christs life in the crowded house
conditions then prevailing, it is unlikely that
in the home of His parents He had a room of His
own where He could retire for prayer. However, we
are certain that He who taught others to pray in
secret found both time and place to be alone with
God. When He entered His public work, it was also
not easy to be alone. Multitudes followed Him
everywhere, and at times, there were so many that
they had no leisure so much as to
ear. Mark 6:31.
One time when the
disciples were tired out with their heavy work of
waiting on the multitude, Jesus suggested that
they go into a desert place, and rest
awhile. so they departed into a
desert place by ship privately.
In going by boat, they
hoped the crowd would not follow them. But in
this they were disappointed, for when they
arrived at the designated place, the people were
there already, having gone around the lake by
land. Christ, who was also tired, nevertheless
began to teach them many things
(verse 34), miraculously fed the huge multitude,
and sent then home. He then constrained His
disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the
other side, while He remained behind. Verse
45. He Himself departed into a mountain to
pray. Verse 46.
Alone
In a Crowd
At times, it was not
possible for Christ to get away from the
multitude, nor were there always mountains to
which He could escape. Under such circumstances
He prayed where He was, unconscious of the people
around Him and undisturbed by their presence.
Note this remarkable statement: It came to
pass, as He was alone praying, His disciples were
with Him. Luke 9:18. His disciples were
with Him; yet, He was alone.
Thus, whatever the
conditions were, Christ found a was to be alone
with God. In this, we do well to follow Him. It
may be some quiet place at home; it may be in the
workshop or in some dedicated place in the woods
or in the garden; it may be even in the barn or
the hayloftany place where the soul can
commune along with God. If no place can be found,
we may have to learn how to be alone with God
when others are present. It may be while
traveling on plane or on train or ship; it may be
while talking on the crowded street or in the
field. If we are really intent on having a few
words with God, we will find opportunity to shut
out all other thoughts and commune with Him.
There is always time for quiet meditation before
we close our eyes in sleep.
God is pleased to have us
pray publicly; He is pleased when we are faithful
in attending meetings for prayer; He is pleased
when we read and study about prayer. But none of
these good things must or can take the place of
secret prayer. Christ said, Pray to thy
Father which is in secret; and thy Father which
seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
Matthew 6:6. This counsel should be heeded.
Public prayer, public worship, are commendable
and vital. But there is no substitute for the
quiet hour with God.
Vain
Repetition
When you pray, use
not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they
think that they shall be heard for their much
speaking. Be not you therefore like unto them:
for your Father knoweth what things you have need
of, before you ask Him. Verses 7,8.
Your Father
knoweth. He knows what we ask and He knows
what we need. The two are not always the same. He
has promised to supply our needs, but not
necessarily our wants. There are times when we
ask for things which we would like to have, when
a little planning would show that we do not need
them as much as we sometimes think we so. God
knows this; and hence God may think it best not
to give us what we want.
Prayer is not primarily
designed to get us things; it is rather to teach
us to be content with such things as we have.
Paul said, Be content with such things as
you have. Hebrews 13:5. Having food
and raiment let us be therewith content. 1
Timothy 6:8. Godliness with contentment is
great gain. Verse 6. Paul lived up to his
preaching. He said, I have learned, in
whatsoever state I am, therewith to be
content. Philippians 4:11.
This does not mean that
we are not to strive for something better, to
improve our lot. Nor does it mean that we are to
be content with ourselves and our progress
mentally or spiritually. We are ever to strive
for a higher goal as far as we are concerned. We
are to be content with what we have, but not with
what we are. Too often the reverse is the case:
We are content with what we are, discontented
with what we have. The following advice is to the
point:
Could you in vision see
yourself the person God meant, you would never
more could be the person you are, content Could
we but vision of what God meant us to be we would
never be content with what we are. Higher
than the highest human thought can reach is
Gods ideal for His children.
A Besetting Sin
Discontent is one of the
besetting sins of the age, and it is not one to
which worldlings only are subject. There are too
many discontented Christians, too many
disgruntled church members, too many covetous,
dissatisfied saints. In our books and attitudes,
we do not always give men a correct picture of
the joys of Christianity. With our lips, we
praise God, but our looks are telling the world
that God is not a good Master. If in a home the
mother is always downcast and discouraged, the
children dissatisfied and sullen, we might
rightly draw the conclusion that things are not
right in that home, and that probably both father
and mother are lacking in certain vital aspects.
This is also the conclusion one has a right to
draw when Gods children murmur and
complain. We are giving God a bad reputation when
we fail to show in our lives the joyfulness of
serving the Lord.
After this manner
therefore pray you. Matthew 6:9.
Therefore has reference to the advice
Christ has just given, that we are not to display
our prayers by standing praying in the synagogues
or in the street corners to be seen of men, but
that we are to pray in secret, avoiding vain
repetitions. To help us form our petitions, to
teach us to pray, He now gives us a sample
prayer. We do not understand that this is the
only prayer we are to use. We may still pour out
our souls to God; we may still pray from the
heart as God gives us utterance. But the
Lords Prayer teaches us what is to be
included in our prayers, and it does this without
the use of vain repetitions, It does not use many
words, but is comprehensive, all-inclusive. It is
a Christ-ordained prayer, and should have a place
in our worship. It fits the individual soul; it
fits the family; it fits the church. Even little
children can early learn to join the other
members of the household in its simple wording.
Our Father
Our Father.
Christians are taught to say Our
Father, not My Father. This
opening statement makes the prayer a true
universal Christian prayer in that it recognizes
the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man.
Mine house, said the prophet,
shall be called an house of prayer for all
people. Isaiah 56:7. Christ endorsed this
when He said, It is not written, My house
shall be called of all nations the house of
prayer. Mark 11:17.
If men of every nation
may address God as Father, then all men are
brethren, whether they are white, black, brown,
red, or yellow. All ye are brethren.
Matthew 23:8. Among non-Christians, it may be
expected that some people should consider
themselves better than others, and one nation
superior to its neighbor. But it shall not
be so among you, said Christ, but
whosoever will be great among you, let him be
your minister; and whosoever will be chief among
you, let him be your servant. Matthew
20:26,27.
No Christian, can
honestly repeat this first phrase of the
Lords Prayer and consider himself superior
to others. God is not the Father of the Europeans
only, or of Americans, or Australians. He is the
Father of all. There is no respecter of persons
with God; neither should there be among
Christians.
Father, which
in the original Greek and in many translations is
the first word in the word in the prayer, is the
endearing term which Jesus used in addressing the
First Person of the Godhead, and which He permits
us to use. The idea of the universal Fatherhood
of God has been of slow acceptance because of the
necessary corollary of the universal brotherhood
of men. Says the prophet, Have we not all
one Father? Hath not one God created us?
Malachi 2:10. In Gods sight, there is no
master race nor any slave race. One man was not
created to ride, another to be ridden. Let those
who use and revere the Lords Prayer have
this in mind. The prayer begins with a
declaration of the Fatherhood of God, and hence
of the unity, dignity, and high origin of all
men. All ye are brethren.
In permitting us to call
God our Father, Christ considers all men as
belonging to the family of God, with all the
honors, responsibilities, and privileges
devolving upon children of such high rank. All
should walk worthy of the calling wherewith they
are called.
To an Indian, God is an
Indian to a Chinese, He is a Chinese; to an
American, He is an American. Each nation thinks
of God as having its own peculiar national
characteristics and physiognomy. But God is not a
national God; He is not partial to any race,
white, black, or brown. He is the God of all; He
is the Father of all. This may be disappointing
to some who would like to have God in their own
image. Of course God is an American,
said a young lady to me. What else could He
be? It would be better if artists ceased to
make images or pictures of God. No man hath
seen God at any time.
John 2:18. How,
then, can anyone make a picture of Him? It is as
unreasonable as attempting to make a picture of
the Holy Spirit. Such would be blasphemy. And so
is a making image of God.
Father stands
for love, protection, companionship,
understanding, guidance, correction, and watch
care, compassion. God possesses all these
attributes, and doubtless many others, and being
our Father and the cause of our existence, has
the strongest reasons for exercising His powers
in our behalf. We are not to come to Him as to a
stranger, or even primarily as to a God, but as
to a Father who is bound to us with bands of
love, cords that will ever hold. To Him we can
open our hearts. In Him, we can safely trust.
Which
Art in Heaven
We are wont to think of
heaven as being above us, and rightly so. To look
up to heaven is to look up to Gods dwelling
place. But when those who live on the other side
of the earth look up, they look in the exact
opposite direction from what we do; and, lo,
there is
God also. From whatever
point on earth we look to heaven, there is God,
surrounding and enclosing us and the whole earth.
If I ascend up to heaven, Thou art there;
if I make my bed i9n hell, behold, Thou art
there. If I take the wings of the morning, and
dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; even
there shall Thy hand lead me, and Thy right hand
shall hold me. Psalm 139:8-10. No place on
earth is nearer to heaven than is any other
place. God is everywhere, and wherever I go, God
is there to guide and uphold me.
In some respects, the
Father is the forgotten person of the Godhead. In
innumerable sermons, Christ is exalted and His
name constantly mentioned, as it should be. In
word and song, the Spirit is magnified, as is
right and proper. But seldom do we hear a sermon
of which the Father is the subject. We are in
danger of forgetting the Father of all, or
relegating Him to a secondary place.
There is no jealously in
the heavenly Trio. The Father is pleased to hear
praise given to the Son and the Holy Spirit. But
we think it well not to ignore the Father in our
devotions, sermons, and hymns of praise. Christ
devoted much time to inform His disciples of the
Father. We will do well to study Christs
teaching on this subject.
One of the reasons Christ
came to this earth was to reveal the Father to
men. The world knew but little of God, and
practically all had a wrong conception of Him. To
set men right, to give them a true view of the
character of God, Christ became man. He was God
manifest in the flesh. 1 Timothy 3:16. Men looked
upon Him, and as they did, they saw the Father.
John 14:9.
Not only did the world
not know God; His own people, the Jews, did not
know Him. They thought of Him as creator, judge,
and lawgiver, but not as a kind and understanding
Father. This was largely the fault of their
leaders. In the time of Christ, it was especially
the fault of the Pharisees. They gave the
impression that God had not made the Sabbath for
man, but man for the Sabbath. No true Jew would
minister to the sick on the Sabbath; that would
be sacrilege. To carry to a sick person a glass
of water would be carrying a burden on the
Sabbath and that was forbidden. The commandment
Thou shalt not kill was interpreted
to include insects, and hence some holy persons
would carry with them a small broom with which to
sweep before them, lest they step on a worm or
insect and thus be guilty of murder. Some would
hold a cloth before their eyes lest they look on
evil and be guilty, and others would do equally
irrational things. From such conduct the people a
wrong idea of the Father. They saw Him not as a
loving and compassionate Father, but as an
unreasonable and harsh God, an unjust judge, who
delighted in making rules impossible to keep and
who would punish those who disobeyed.
Christs teaching
about God was directly opposed to that of the
Pharisees. In healing the sick, comforting the
mourners, raising the dead, and forgiving sins He
was giving men a picture of what God is like.
Said He, He that hath seen Me hath seen the
Father. John 14:9. I and My Father
are one. John 10:30. Men were charmed by
His gracious words, as well as mightily moved by
them. As He went about spreading good cheer,
attending a wedding feast when He thought best,
accepting invitations to eat with people, always
kind and considerate to all men could not fail to
see the vivid contrast between His practice and
the teaching of the Pharisees. Christ was
revealing God to men.
A true doctrine of God is
of vital concern to all. If a wrong doctrine can
produce the Inquisition, we must not think
lightly of studying carefully the doctrine
of God our Savior. Titus 2:10. For he
that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath
both the Father and the Son. 2 John 9. John
considered this so important that he declared,
If
there come any unto you, and bring not this
doctrine, receive him not into your house,
neither bid him Godspeed. Verse 10.
When we pray, Our Father, we invoke
the help of One who is truly our Father, who
loves and cares for us, and will do anything to
help us. He will guide us, counsel us, correct us
if need be; but He will do it in love. May we
ever keep sacred His name, the name of Father.
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