The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1910-02-04
ALSMCIVINC
AND PRAYER
Seheel Lessee fer FL. s, lsl,
Specially Arranged for This PAPER

the middle Of Christ's ministry.
PLACE.-The traditional site is the
Horns Of Hattin. two or three miles west
of the Sea of Gallee.
Suggestion and Practical Thought.
The lesson to-day dwells on sim
certify and truth applied to giving and
praying.
L. Sincerity versus Hypocrisy in
Giving.-Vs. IA. First, the Principle,
underlying the actions referred to is,
that SO far as relates to virtue or
character in the doer, it is the motive
that determines the value of an &C
ton, no matter how good the action
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 e of them.
to gain applause, in order to be re-
garded as righteous and generous.
II. Sincerity versus Hypocrisy in
ioyAuo." vs. OC. lACu shall UoL NC
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, "in the
synagogues," the proper places of
worship, where the worshipers can
see them, land in the corners of the
Streets" where they could be seer
from four directions.
But thou, when thou prayest, our
real object being prayer, center 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 n
other occasion, is prefaced 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 hat aspect of God
which most attracts us to pray to him.
He is not a mere bright Essence in
create" a power hat 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
files 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
bo41 f@n +horo 4hot 1o-o
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
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.
L. 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-
ditions meant to test our characters,
our choices.
3. Deliverance from All Evil of All
Kinds. "But deliver us from evil"
1.-The evil,'' not "the evil one" as In
the r. ", for that narrows and BELT
ties the prayer (the lone" 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 nswer this prayer
by removing many evils.
The Power That Assures the An