The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-01-11
REV. CARVER
ON LOR DIS
PRAYER

The musical selections rendered
Sunday In the First Presbyterian
church were worthy OF more than
passing notice Mrs. Stevens solos.
The Lord is My Shepherd" by Lid
die. and There is a Green Hill Far
Away" by Gounod. the violin solos.
ITO Wild Rose" by MacDowell. rem
dered by Miss Beatrice Hamil. and
Sohumann's Even Song" played by
Miss Margaret Armstrong. accompan-
led by Miss Ziemer. as we'll as the
piano solo by Miss Bddle were wor-
thy OF especial comment, not only be-
cause oil the high class OF the compo-
sitlons. but because of the skill and
technique with which they wore rem
dered.
The evening sermon was upon the
development of the place OF interest
given 10 public prayer in which Rev.
Carver said in part:
Tne Lords prayer was the direct
result OF lost prayer which John the
Baptist had taught his disciples. Con-
trary TO the common belief the 'Lord's s
Prayer was not an original one with
Christ We find most OF its phrasing
and all Of It's thoughts in the Jewish
prayers of the Hebrew writer's OF a
century before his time. Christ never
claimed originality In It. 1t Is used
by all creeds and seots save the
Quaker, they alone give II no great
hn lao rI IN
thine is the kingdom and the power
and the glory forever and ever. amen"
was doubtless not part of the origin
al. Luke does not give il, nor did
the early church use it. This last
clause is hymn Of praise or doxol-
ogy which was so often added To
prayers In that day as we know by
the prayers of Paul While we are
thinking of the Lords prayer 1t is in
teresting to turn to the only other
prayer which rivals it not In merit but
in usage. The many millions OF Mo-
hammedans offer morning and night
this prayer given them BY their great
leader II is their leaders great pray
er-
praise be to God, Master OF the
Universe, 8.
The Merciful, the Compassionate,
Lord of the Day OF Judgment.
To Thee we give our worship,
From Thee we have our help.
Guide us in the right way,
In the way of those whom thou hast
loaded with Thy blessing,
Not in the way of those who have
encountered Thy wrath, or who
have gone astray."
The development OF prayer in pub
lie worship is most interesting. The
first worship was sacrifice and In
that worship the word and song had
no place. The Offering of the victim.
or the fruit OF the soil. was all of the
service. which was intended to be u
Sweet SAVIOUR unto Cod"
When the prophets and psalmists
arose they reyolutIonized the service
of worship by introducing prayer and
music and praise In an ordered place,
and retained the sacrifice.
From the time OF captivity of the
Jews the Synagogue OF necessity took
the place OF the temple and this gave
opportunity for the real place OF In
dIvidual prayer and praise. Christ liv-
ing at this time became heir OF the
individual trend OF worship OF his
time. Strange to say. the Lords pray
er was never used by any but the
disciples of Christ. to whom IT was
given. until these having died II be-
came the blessing OF all Christians
alike.
In the early days OF the Christian
church one of their number was chos-
hn n n
from this custom arose the fixed place
OF public prayer In public worship
No greater power has ever been CIV
en- to men than the power OF prayer
We have no more right to doubt 1t
than VIC have TO doubt the power OF
electricity because Il Is unseen and
not thoroughly understood. Prayer
was the great power OF the early
church and OF the stalwnrt spiritual
leaders who have been the worlds
religious epoch makers. Luther even
when most busted gave three hours
a day to prayer. John Wesley spent
an hour AT the opening and at the
close OF each day IN prayer. Calvin's
life was redolcnt in prayers Knox
is famous as giant Of prayer. Bar
nardo. poor London doctor, by the
power of prayer cared for and educat-
ed over 10000 of the waits Of Lon
don. Hudson Taylor by prayer alone,
he himself n poor man, developed
and cared for the great China Inland
Mission which today is educating and
giving medical care to three OF the
inland Chinese PROVINCES, And your
life and mine has no greater need
than the need of prayer. The one pc
tition We need most to make Is the
one of the disciples. Lord. teach US
how TO pray" II tho life of this
church Is cold and unchrisuanlike. II
our individual lives are spiritually
noD-influenual and unsatisfactory, the
reason is plain. We lack the vision
and zeal which comes by prayer and
by prayer alone. We can easily test
our spiritual worth and reality by the
interest we feel in. and the time We
give 10 our private prayers And II
our home life needs spiritual tonic