The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-03-14
THE SUBJECT OF PRAYER
INTERNATIONAL SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON 70 TOMORROW.
Rev. Edward l.. Pell Discourses on the
Prayerfulness of Jesus-"Lord, Teach
Us to Pray"

disciples was his prayerfulness. Thsy
could not help feeling that one who loved
10 spend whole nights in supplication had
secret which they did not possess. and
naturally they grew hungry for II.
Lord. teach US to pray" asked a dis
ciple one day, who had just seen him
a few minutes before on his knees. OF
course. he had been taught to pray" just
as all good Jews had been. but the dis
ciples had been with Jesus long enough
10 know that anything that passed his
lips came forth pure gold. and they want
ed pattern from him. even II 1t should
be given in words to which they were al
ready accustomed.
In answering, Jesus gave 10 his follow
ers prayer which Is not only pattern,
but a treatise covering the whole subject
OF prayer. II would be difficult TO ask
a question about prayer which is not
answered In the wonderful form before
US.
The first word suggests that a prayer
ful spirit is an unseihsh spirit. We must
approach God as our Father. 10 Is our
privilege 70 go 10 Him about our personal
Interests. but il is not our privilege 10
monopolize Him. Some people cannot
Gods special favortes. 1t IS essential
20 prayer that we should approach God
IN the spirit that is ready TO kneei before
His throne by the side Of the humblest OF
his children.
IN the second place, we arc to approach
Him as a child approaches his father.
Some people approach God as a mental
approaches a master lie is never any
thing more to them than a dread sover-
cign You ind out such people IN prayer
meeting. They present their supplicauons
to God tied 10 string OF royal titles.
There are others who regard God as a
spollt child regards an indulgcnt father
We learn them i'm prayer-meeling. they
use so many expressions Of endearment
as to excite the suspicion that they love
Tod mostly I'm public. God Is our king,
but We are His children, and We must so
h Him with q confidence which a mere
servant could not have.
We are 10 approach Him with supreme
concern for His own glory. We nave
personal interests IN Yiew-thcrc are some
things which we need and which we ought
10 ask for-but what we want, above
an things-what we should want above
an thngs-is his own glory. We want
His name 20 be hallowed, 10 be held in
reverence everywhere. We want His king
dom 10 come. we long 10 see the day
when lie shall rule as completely IN the
hearts Of men that his will may DE
| done on earth as it Is done I'm heaven
| This is the ideal way--to 30 20 God with
/ his own interests uppermost In our
hearts. There are some simple folk who
| call themselves saints with a big 5. who
! have gotten IL into their heads that they
I should not pray the Lords prayer, be-
cause II is prayer FOR sinners" IL
would be difficult TO imagine an unsaved
sinner giving heartfelt utterance TO such
aspirations as are contained In the open
| ing sentences OF this prayer.
When we have told God OF our supreme
desires. when we have prayed for His
| glory and for the Advancement OF His
kingdom 10 the salvation Of our fellow
men, we ai5 IN a proper condition
/ 10 talk TO Him about what we call our
/ personal interests. For. now, we Will
realize that these matters which we have
| regarded as our own age. after all, mat
! ters of the keenest interests 10 Him,
and that In praying for ourselves We Will
| be simply continuing % pray for His in
terests. We are not prepared 10 pray
| for ourselves "a we ought until we fee
that We ae q part OF His Kingdom, and
| can ask Him. not 20 much TO help u.s.
but 10 held His own.
II we are In this spirit We will now
| ask him TO supply our immediate wants
| As for our future wants we need not
be concerned about them for the reason
that we have constant accets 10 I'm
| and we know that He will not change
and that His storehouse will not fail
and besides, we will want 20 so 10 him
every day anyhow. And We viii ash
| Him TO supply our needs-not 10 satisfy
our desires. seeing that what We desire
Is very apt TO bee what We DO not need
We viii ask for bread, and we Will not
/ Insist on us being buttered. II We ar,
thinking OF our own interests and not
of His, we will be more likely 90 ask for
cigars than bread, and we viii be- sure
10 insist on his giving us "the portion
that belongeth" TO us iu lump. Then
We will go of and play the prodlgol and
never come back until We have come 70
| husks.
The next petition contains am H. over
! which many "a soul has stumbled into
| outer darkness where there rs weeping an'
| crashing OF teeth We may ask God u
| forgive our sins II We have Forgiven
those that have sinned against u.s. We
| overlook the greatest harm our enemies
do MS. they keep our prayers from COINS
to heaven The moment an enemy l'
| forgiven. the way b. clear whether ~
| foraiyes us or not There Is nothing hara
! a. understand about this condition 1"l
| viu not take your child Ia your arm
who has Just refused % make up WIZ
! hfs hrother. with whom he has quarrelled
! Moreover. when we go 10 God Win hatfe'
| An our hearts and ask forgiveness VI
| do not ask him 10 forgive the haiieu ~
are cherishlng-the geaiest SIN We nav nay.
! committed. How absurd 10 expect ii'l
10 forgive all other sins ana allo" VI
20 ON i'm the pet sin for when We ua''
not ask forgiveness -,..... -,
put We not only want iotslNeh's9 ~
mast sins: we want protection from w
| trro temptations 10 sin; ana iheFti"i" ~
ask that our steps may be sai'' NJ ',a i
| no reallv desires 10 bee kept from sii
can be- Indifferent about his footsteps
Having given us pattern 20 pray by
Jesus goes a step further and encourages
rs TO pray, not as a piOua exercise. hI
| for results. II We pray looking Tor ai
answer we will manifest great earnestnes
IN our prayers. II We ask. not TO D'
f. asking. but TO receive, We shall receive
/ a. We seek. not because we think We oufN
| 10 but 10 and we shall nnd.t We knock
| nor as a pious exercise. feeling tnat whit
, the door may not open the knocking VII
do ms good but believing that the doc
will be opened. IT. will be opened.
And we shall not only receive, but w
shall receive that which Is sooh' ~
does not say We shall receive pgee'srN
what we ask for but He reminds US ma
we ask Of Q Father, and We know that W.
who are fathers would not give our Gnu
dror a stone II they asked bread. mol
| - sernent n they asked FOR FISH, nor :
| soornion il they asked an egg II ~
| - ,h,t x-a blind "a We Ofttimtl