The Yale expositor., 1910-02-04
ALSMGIVING
AND PRAYER
Sunday School Lesson for Feb. 9. 1910
Specially Arranged for This Paper


be seen by them."-6:1. Or. W
TIME.-The summer OF A. ID. Is. near
the middle OF Christ's ministry.
PLACE.-The traditional site Is the
Horns OF Hattin. two or three miles west
OF the Sea OF Gaplee.
Suggestion and Practical Thought.
The lesson to-day dwells on sim
certify and truth applied to giving and
praying.
/. Sincerity versus Hypocrisy In
Giying.-Vs. IA. First, the Principle.
underlying the actions referred to is,
that so far as relates to virtue or
character in the doer, II is the motive
that determines the value of an &C
ton, no matter how good the action
In itself, or how important the gift
may be to the receiver.
Second. It's Application to Giving.
]. Take heed" emphatic because
what follows is very important That
We do not your aims" r. ", accord
ing to the best MSS, your righteous
ness" your good actions both moral
and religious, before men" for the
purpose or design to be seen of them,
to gain applause, in order to be re-
garded as righteous and generous.
H. Sincerity versus Hypocrisy in
Praying 5-S. 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.
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 prefaced by re-
quest from the disciples that Jesus
would teach them how to pray.
/. We need to learn how to pray, II
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
its 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 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." our daily bread
Daily bread" includes supplies for all
our wants, food for hungry hearts as
well as bodies, for the mind, the spirit
the taste, for beauty and music, and
for every appetite and longing.
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.
10. 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
ditions meant to test our characters,
our choices.
3. Deliverance from All Evil of All
Kinds. But deliver US from evil"
THE evil" not "the evil one" as In
the r. w., 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. 49, The rest Of this verse
is not found in the oldest MSS, and
the r. ", puts it in the margin.
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
Illustration. "In a Russian palace
there is a gallery In which are hung
several hundred portraits of young
maidens. These pictures we're paint