The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1899-01-19
WITHIN OUR TEMPLE DOORS.
What They Preached About in Scot
land Neck Last Sunday.
IN THE METHODIST CHURCH.

AT IL o CLOCK pastor Ryder preacneC
from Luke XII :1-"Lord, teach US tt
pray"
We know not what disciple made
this req uest Of Jesus. Christ Jesu:
had been enjoying retreat" and
doubtless He had led the devotion Of
the little band. No doubt the dis
clples were struck by the beauty of the
prayer and the all-comprehensiven
of the petitions. The spiritual up-lif1
was so great that as spontaneous
outburst OF a. heart full to ovorhowlng
of the love OF God one of the disci-
pies exclaimed, "Lord. teach us to
pray"
Jesus at once responded and in sc
doing gives them /. A form OF prayer
which was also model. 2. A theory
of prayer.
Christ. in this form of prayer, puts
intercession before petition for per
sonal benefits. The true genius OF
PRAYER Is subordlnation of self to uni
versal interest.
But I want to call your attention
to the theory Of prayer.
u6 uESU llluSUIdCIOu VI cACu
ton of prayer In this Is drawn from
the domain of friendship, verses 5-S
Christ Jesus asserted that the etfica-
cious prayer was EMBEDDED as fact
IN the very constitution of society.
Petition is the form which conscious
ueed assumes in social intercourse, and
assistance comes demonstrating the
truth that prayer has been efficacious.
Christ uses the illustration found in
verses 5-S.
After relating the story and applying
some of the truths therein contained
the speaker stated: This illustration
was recorded to encourage intercesslon.
This is a case of etiicacious microscopy
prayer between men. 1t may not re-
ceive an immediate answer but i'm
portunity secures an answer. God may
keep us waiting for our good. He
does not promise to give us the bless
ing at once.
Remember this friend desired bread
not Tor himself but for another. God
will give us bread-blessings not for
ourselves alone but for others in ans
wer to prayer.
At 7 p. M. the preacher announced
for his text Luke XI :l-"Lord, teach
as to pray"
He stated this in the same text as
in the morning. He gave
a brief outline of the morning sermon
and then said, 81 desire to consider the
theory OF prayer as drawn from pre-
cincts of home and home life"
There are three fundamental truths
this illustration. l. The
greatest need of the world is the gift of
the Holy Spirit. 2. Prayer is the. me-
dunn through which the gilt Of the
Holy Spirit will be bestowed. 3 The
readiness of God, the Father, to give
the Holy Spirit to them that ask it.
Read verses 11-13) This illustration
Of Christ Jesus is in the form OF a eli
max-bread-fsh-egg.
''If a son ask bread, &C." Bread
The staff of life. Three-fifths of
The parts of the body are nourished
and built up of bread. It feeds the
,oarser parts.
The Holy Ghost IS bread-the bread
IF life, &c.
"Or If he ask "a fish, g." Fish-cli-
max Observation-Disclosures to mako
Drain and nerves. Applied the truth.
'.Ask an egg, &C." Egg-clinax is
cached. Egg contains all that is nee
,ssary to life. Bread-fsh-egg
gradual rise towards perfection.
The conclusion is found IN verse Is.
Gods readiness to give us things we
need.
Gods attitude towards His children
who are in need and who in>plore His
assistance is presented to us III the fig
IRE of an earthly parent.
God will not mock our necess tiles or
gnore our petitions. Here Is encour-
agement to us to continue our inter-
,essions. Let us learn the lesson well,
20 ask of God any blessings we may
lesire for ourselves and others.
IN THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
Mr.. Phelps preached from ST. Matt.
VI. 6: "But thou, sgheae thou prayest,
inter into thy closet"
There is no subject of deeper Import
o the christian than that Of prayer,
70 the words of the text, coming as they
10 directly from the lips of our Lord,
md not through the medium of some
nan, should be OF exceedingly great in
crest to him.
The numerous passages on prayer
throughout the Bible seem to agree
hat prayer should be made in an I'M
manner. The text says,
Enter into thy closet" This does not
mean that we should always pray in
,ur rooms The word "closet" here
las a much broader meaning. It may
,e in the corner OF store when the
Jerk is selling goods or it may be out
n the field or forest, where the soul is
lone with God. It is any place where
or few moments we may be with God,
md untroubled by the care and vexa-
ions of the world lay open our hearts to
Him.
Again, prayer should be from the
words without earnest
bought and feelings behind them will
lever find their way to heaven. Those
Who believe that they shall be heard
or their much speaking are taught by
,ur Lord to think otherwise. A few
nartlculate words uttered from the