The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1896-03-12
rHE SUNDAY SCHOOL.



International Lesson for March 1S. 1900
Tesching About Prayer-Luke l1sl-1S.
ARRANGED from Peloubet's Notes.l
.ss S .S qS S j ns asdot ee E sgeR
shall be opened unto you.-Luke 11:S
THE SECTION does not extend into the
rest Of the chapter ES but includes q the les
eS-lS; Matt. 7a-1i; and (S references to
&rayer and its answer: Chron. tag: Ps.
Mark II ri; Luke 1918; John 16: :2s; James
1:6-7; 1 John 6:14-15; Rev. SIS: 8:3. L.
TIhn.-November, A; D; 2.
PLACE.-Somewhere In Persia, the coun-
try on the other side Of the Jordan.
EXPLANATORY.
I. CHRIsT's EXAMPLE AS TO PRAYER.
". lit is well to note Jesus habits as
to prayer. For it was jnst after He Him.
self had been praying that His disciples
came with the request: "Lord, teach
us to pray" They knew His habits
of prayer, and they wanted to know
with what spirit, with what form, for
what things, in what places they should
pray, SC that they might be heard.
From this incident we may gather that
we must learn to do even the best
things if we would do them in the best
way. With the holiest and most earn
est spirit, we need to learn how to ex-
press it most perfectly. The one most
full of music usually takes the greatest
pains to study music.
Then follows the answer, the Lords
Prayer, not an imposed form, but
specimen, pattern of all true prayer.
It should be studied carefully, SO as to
understand it's spirit as well as its
form.
II. CHRIsT's TEACHING How TO PRAY.
US. 1-4.-"Our Father which art in
Heaven" "Our," not "pny," Father"
to Whom we owe all we have and are,
in Whose image we are made; Whom
we love, and trust, and obey; to Whom
we can pour out our inmost souls. "In
Heaven" and, therefore, infinite, ON
nipresent, Whose very nature makes
Heaven what it is, and able to reach
every person.. and help in every need.
"Hallowed by Thy name.' "Thy
name" stands for His character, for
whatever He is. May that name be
held in reverence by ourselves and by
all, in heart, in thought, in word, in
deed. "Thy kingdom come" This is
the most magnificent blessing the
world can receive, that time when God
and the principles of His Heavenly
righteousness shall prevail among all
men. "Thy will be done, as in Heaven
so in (on) EARTH" The petition implies
(D that we ourselves desire so to do
Gods will. (2) That we wish Gods
will to be done in us and for us by His
providence and by His spirit. (3) That
all the world may obey God as per-
fectly as the angels obey Him. What
prayer is this! What changes, what
overturnings it implies, in business, in
daily life, in politics. "Give us day by
day our daily bread" Every good and
perfect gift comes from above. This
acknowledges the source and leads to
thanksgiving. "Us," not "me." "Our,"
the bread adapted to our wants. taken
from Gods hands in His way. "Daily,"
enough for present wants, but leading
us to trust God for the future. "And
forgive us our SINS" Take them away
from us, both the penalty and the sins.
"For we also forgive" Do we? An
unforgiving spirit shows that we are
not in state where forgiveness would
be blessing to us. "And lead us not
into temptation" Who ever wishes to
be led into temptation, and is not afraid
lest he fall, is already more than half
fallen? But if God in His wisdom
brings us into trials and tests, then 1--WE
may count it all joy" and by Gods
strength gain the victory. "But deliver
us from evil" from every evil, tenn
poral and spiritual The mark of
saint is the strength of his longing to be
delivered from all sin. Jesus delivers
us from evil by forgiveness, by filling
the heart with love, by the gift of the
Holy Spirit and by setting us to work
for Him.
III. ENCoURAGEMENTs TO PRAY.-Vs.
5-12. Here importantly in prayer is
taught by the parable of a man who
went to his friend at midnight, a most
inconvenient time when it would re-
quire good deal of patience to grant
the request, goes to a friend, hoping to
obtain bread for late arriving guest.
Usually in the east they prepare only
enough for single day; SO with this
man, though not SO with his friend.
But though the higher motives of
friendship. for the friendship was SO
weak, did not avail. yet because it was
less trouble to grant his wishes than
to endure the unwearied importantly,
"he will arise and give him." God is
not compared with this selfish man. but
contrasted. For, if selfish men can be
won by prayer and importantly to give,
much more certainly shall the bounti-
full Lord bestow. The lesson is passed
home in the promise which is the
Golden Text. And this "for every one,"
as a matter of fact. There are no real
exceptions. Another encouragement
to pray is based upon the relation of
parent and child. There are few fathers
who would refuse the necessities of life
to child, or give that which is harm
full or useless instead