The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1892-06-01
FAMILY PRAYERS.
God Should BE First in Our Hearts and
Homes.

FAMILY PRAYERS.
God Should BE First in Our Hearts and
Homes.
Every true home is shrine. To it
we bring the best we have, and in it
there is peace and protection. 1t is the
center from which we work. 1t is the
wall which keeps back the flood and
rush of life, the barrier which says:
Thus far and no farther to the pres
sure of the world. Encamping angels
form it's outward guard. Fright de-
tachments of unseen forces hover over
that home in which God is the holy
word and the thought of God the guild
ing standard of the home life.
Compared with the world home is a
shrine, a holy retreat. But within the
home, in it's own little world, we still
need shrine-a holy of holes, whence
power proceeds, whence the Shekinah
light flows, that master light of all
our seeing" to which we bring our best,
where we find peace and protection. A
center from which to work, bond
which embraces, and rivet which holds
and centralizes all in the home. This
shrine within shrine is no other than
the family altar.
A home without prayer, in which the
father lifts up the family in its needs,
its affections, its labors, its studies, it's
soul life to God, is an unorganized, in
coherent group of persons 1t lacks
that unifying core that causes all
things in the family life to radiate
from one center, as we have seen
in great magnetic coils all
particles of attracted metal standing
out, each in its own line, but all having
one fixed point of attachment. 1t is for
want Of the binding, up-building influ-
ence OF family worship that many fami-
lies give an impression of disintegra-
ton, distraction, perhaps Of Earring, in
harmonious interests. Were we to I'M
roof even many Christian homes in our
land we might discover that Gods place
was vacant. What wonder unrest and
disappointment attend on such families
The solidarity of the family must be
maintained. A solid, united front must
be presented to the world. There are
many ways of building up right family
feeling by mutual interest in eacl
others pursuits, by affection expressed
by self-forgetfulness and by the con
scious effort of each to promote tn,
pleasure of all But there is no sucl
consolidating force, no such centripeta
influence brought to bear on family life
: as the worship of God by all the family
: including servants, daily at fixed an,
} early hour. God must be first in poin
J of time as well as supreme in though
to us.
Every thoughtful Christian must al
nit that family prayer is good thing
This once admitted, there is no choice
we must have the prayer. Whateve
ought to be done, God gives us grace t
do. But then practical objections, OF
, stacles, even impossibilities arise. An
even so simple thing as gathering tn
members of our own family togethe
for fifteen minutes of reading, singing
and praying becomes formidabl
struggle. We say that our famil
could not be regular if we attempte
family worship. Perhaps the train b
which several of the family go to thei
avocations is early-then let praye
. time be earlier. The hand of God
blessing laid upon our heads woul
, give us just the needed pois
for the busy day. Or tn
J trouble Of another family may b
that there is no fixed hour for anythin
everything drifts, one is ready an
, another is not. But even here, if breal
fast, although a movable feast, is take
. at ALL time can be given while the las
preparations are being made, or eve
after the breakfast is ready. II ca
wait until the moments of devotion ar
over. The mother must be the one t
: adjust household matters so that wit
the least possible friction everythin
shall make it easy for the father an
! the Others to join. BY simple indiffel
+ ence on the mothers part all will ia
q through. The one who leads in praye
should never be obliged to feel that h
brings an unwilling flock to the clea
fountain of Gods love. Each need
|. this upward look in the morn
ing, and all should share in mai
ing it possible. But after al
the stamina requisite for regular wol
ship depends in the last analysis upo
the father. If he wills to maintai
o family worship it can be done, but if h
! is indifferent or unspiritual it will b
: impossible to keep the flame of famil
! devotion regular or bright, for there
4 a subtler cause than Inconvenience q
I effort that oftenest eXtinguishes tn
I flame. or prevents the fire from ever b.
= ing lighted This is the thought tina
4 as we pray so we must live. We fe'
d the chasm between the words of OF
= prayer and the tenor of our lives. Fan
r lily prayer is nothing unless it bring
- living sense of God into our own liv,
and those of our children.
4 all our life is not in harmon
o with this living sense of God, Il
v few moments of worship are irreleval
r and formal, and can not keep place
t the vital and Gtrong currents of fami
e life. All, should not self-revelatio
l. brought about by the touchstone of Il
J holy altar, bring us quickly TO God #