Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1904-05-05
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES n
IN A MASTER SCHOOL.
Comments BY William T. RliA.

IN A MASTER SCHOOL.
IN" magazines are commencing to swell
out with the annual advertisements of far
sighted school masters who are looking
ahead for next terms pupils. Each claims
to be the best school. There was an
itincrant school kept on the hillside of
Judea and by the lakeside of Galilee
which made no bid for popularity, yet the
Teacher was the best Teacher of best
things. So eager souls with keen vision
throngcd to the Teacher for this school
had no other equipment. than its Teach
CT, to be taught the mysteries Of this life
and the next.
The Teacher was evidently a master of
the art of prayer. He himself prayed: and
the mark of a prayerful spirit was upon
him, SO one day after he himself had been
apart praying there came to him one of
his pupils with the request that has since
been upon so many myriads of lips: Lord
teach us TO pray The lesson that he
laugh in answering this request is the
lesson for the Sunday school this week.
THE "PRAYiNG lNDiANS."
In John ENliot's time his Indian converts
We're known as praying Indians. and his
Christian Indian villages bore the name of
praying towns" In the mind of the ma
tives the words praying and Chris
tian" were synonyms. A Christian man
was Il praying man: Il praying nan was
u Christian man. When we run across
this term, praying indian" in our read
ing, 1t should suggest to us that there is
no Christian life apart from the prayer
life.
The church through all the ages since
Jesus taught that lesson to his own fol-
lowers, has been a praying church in
the service of u praying Master. Her
purity and progress and power have been
borne in the travail of prayer. When
Christians cease to pray their religious
life ceases to prosper.
A PRAYER IN TWENTY SECONDS.
Jesus gave to the %inquirers a model
prayer. 1t universally bears the name
of the Lords Prayer and is spoken
every day by a countless company of men.
wOmen and children. 1t Is one of the first
set forms of speech committed to infant
memory and it is often the last utterance
of the spirit winging its flight to another
world. The brevity of this prayer is
striking. In the full form in which it is
commonly used, 1t consumes a little more
than a half minute In careful repetition.
AS we have ii in the American revision 1t
can be said slowly in less than twenty
seconds. See how brief, and simple, n
comprehensive it is. Father, hallowed
be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Give
us day by day our daily bread. And for
give us our sins; for We also forgive every
one that Is indebted to us. And bring us
not into temptation
Jesus probably did not mean that this
should be accepted by his disciples or
their followers as a perpetual formula for
constant repetition. He gave 1t as a
model prayer to indicate the elements
that should enter into a true prayer.
NIL. l. --.fA T.
than In any sincere and reverent express
sion of the needs Of a heart uplifted to
God. Prayers should be as individual as
human needs. Each should be distinctive.
each should be personal. Children do not
talk to their fathers In set forms of speech.
Just as free and as original should be the
Intercourse OF the Christian with his
Heavenly Father. The lesson of prayer Is
not Il lesson for rote recitation: 1t Is a
truth 10 be grasped and to be variously
applied.
cHRiSTiANlTY'S WORLD REQUEST
The model prayer opens with the SIM
pie word. Father That ia the key of
the whole truth taught. The Christian is
to pray as a child to a father. Others are
Offering up gifts and petitions to blind
fate or force, to elements or idols, or ever
to evil spirits. This may be a natural CON-
ception of the divine power. But 1t Is not
contained in the teaching of Jesus. The
fatherhood of God is Christ's splendid
gift to the world, to all men everywhere.
TO those who grope blindly oward n light
dimly seen, n to those who only grovel
in fear and supplication. This precious
truth comes that God is a father, with all
Of a fathers love and pitiful tenderness.
CLOWN RIGHTS.
God is 8 he never abates one jot or
title of his divine sovereignty, nor would
hn 1aV,a vnnp tnrnn< Il VHYHiIO ~ro ~
hail him as Father we may not forget
that he Is also Lord of lords and King of
kings. Therefore. the model prayer Of
Jesus opens with the inscription, HAL
lowed be thy name" The heart must
bow down as 1t approaches the divine
throne. There is no room here for cheap
familiarity or irreverence. Every accept
devout and humble recognition Of the
fact that God Is worthy of honor and re.
spect.
The first petition Of the model prayer,
81 ggestively enough. has to do not with
human needs, but with this same divine
glory. The honor OF God. the praise OF
his name. the prosperity OF his work are
more important han any nero human
need. THY kingdom come" Is the biggest
pray o human lip can frame, yet 1t ii
not too great to be ever present, In It,
spirit, in every petition. The Father abovs
desires hat the children below should
be concerned for whatever concerns him
His interest should be their greatest care
The Kingdoms coming he would place al
q highest ambition Of every life.
WHAT DOES A MAN NEEDf
This model prayer Is as interesting II
what 1t implies as In what It directl,
sAys. After having recognized the meek
Of mans spirit 1t turns to the lesser need
Of hin body and asks. Give ua dav n,