The Tupelo journal., 1910-02-04

to gain applause, in order to be re-
garded as righteous and generous.
II. Sincerity versus Hypocrisy in
Praying.-Vs SIS. Thou shalt not be
as the hypocrites are,", who do not
really pray, do not desire or expect
what they ask, or hold communion
with God; but desire to appear very
religious to men, and hence stand
apart like the Pharisee. in the para
BILE, as if absorbed in devotion, lin the
synagogues." the proper places OF
worship, where the worshipers a
see them, land in the of the
Streets" where they could be seer
from four directions.
But thou, when thou prayest, your
real object being prayer, "enter into
thy closet, thine inner chamber" (Rs),
"shut thy door," and really pray to
thy Father" Then God will answer
your prayers by giving you the things
you ask for, or, if these are not good
for you, give you the better things
you would have asked for, had you
seen as God sees.
III. A Form of Prayer Filled with
the Spirit.-Vs. 9-15. The Lords Pray.
er as given in Luke, perhaps on an
other occasion, is p%refaced by a re-
quest from the disciples that Jesus
would teach them how to pray.
1. We need to learn how to pray, If
we would gain the most possible from
prayer. Let the soil be titled that
the germ may grow.
2. Jesus gave a model, expressing
the true principles of prayer.
8. A model or form is useful only
when filled with the real Spirit OF
prayer.
4. We can interpret the model by
the way Jesus and his disciples used
it. We have no recorded instance OF
their using this prayer, but the pray
ers of Jesus were in accordance with
it's principles.
The Hearer and Answerer of Praper.
Our Father which art in Heaven"
This expresses that aspect OF God
which most attracts us to pray to him.
He is not a mere bright Essence in
create a "power that makes for
righteousness" but a Person, as really
as our spirits are persons; infinite,
omnipotent, omniscient, King, Creator,
Ruler, but withal a Father whose quail
tiles we learn from his Son, our Elder
Brother Jesus.
The Chief Aim and Goal of Prayer
is expressed in a threefOld form,
which represents the highest, the best,
the happiest, the noblest conceivable
ideal and goal for every child of God
and for the whole human race. Eye
hath not seen nor ear heard, neither
has entered into the heart of man"
anything beyond these (which God
hath prepared for them that love
him"
Prayer for Our Material Welfare.
II. Give us this day, or as Luke re-
ports, "day by day." u daily bread.
Daily bread" includes supplies for all
our wants, food for hungry hearts as
we'll as bodies, for the mind, the spirit,
the taste, for beauty and music, and
for every appetite and longing. 1t Is
good to know that God cares for
these needs of ours. The body is the
instrument of the soul, and should be
cared for as a musician cares for his
violin. or an engineer for his engine.
God gives all these supplies, for they
come through his perfect laws,
through his providence, and care.
Prayer for Deliverance from Evil
VS.. 1915. The deliverance is three
fold.
1. From the Burden and Effects of
Past Sins. Forgive us our debts"
the duties we owe to God and man
and have not. Forgiveness is thus
the first step in being delivered from
evil.
The Second Step in Deliverance
from Evil Is Victory Over Temptation.
Is. Lead us not into temptation"
Thou, who art the guide of our life,
lead us, but away from temptation.
Temptation is trial, proving, the con
ditiohs meant to test our characters,
our choices.
8. Deliverance from All Evil Of All
Kinds. "But deliver us from evil"
'The evil" not 'sthe evil one" as In
the R. ", for that narrows and BELT
ties the prayer (the "one" is not in
the Creek but from evil, every evil,
temporal and spiritual, including the
evil one, but most of all from sin the
great evil, and the source of most
other evils. God answers this prayer
by removing many evils.
The Power That Assures the An
swer.-v. 10. The rest of this verse
is not found in the Oldest MSS, and
the r. ", puts 1t In the margin. 1t
would have been better to put In the
text with a note in the margin. 1t is
found in other parts of the Scripture.
1t dates back almost to the age Of
the apostles. It is needed to COM
plete the prayer, for through It we can
pray with Faith, we a realize that
God can and VIII answer the prayer.
"For thine is the kingdom" the rule
and the right to rule over nature and
man. All forces are under his con-
troll.
And the power. All power natural
and spiritual.