The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-06-01
INTERNATIONAL SUNDAY Sc. DOL
e LESION C

Gcd to pray is both unscriptural and
unreasonable. God hcareth not sin
ners tJohn 9:31l; those who come to
Him through Christ are accepta Bile
only because Jesus is their Advocate.
Ii is plain to be seen. then, that those
who approach God in their own
names without having accepted the
Advocate and His terms of disciple
! ship such can have no standing
with the Father and their prayers
are unacceptable
Instead of eXhorting our friends
and neighbors to pray to God and to
trust for the fulfilment of their pray
ers. we should give them the Scrip
tural counsel. to repent of sin and
by faith to accept the forgiveness of
their sins, according to the testimony
OF Gods Word. by making full con-
secration of themselves TO be the
footstep followers of Jesus Then, as
sons of God, they would have all the
privileges of sonship in this present
time as well as The glorious prospects
hereafter
Vain Repetition of the Heather.
All are hoathenS or Gcntiles all
of the world who have not left the
world and come into covenant rela-
tiOnship with God through Christ
Such outsiders. not understanding
the Only Way. the Only Door of Gods
favor. vainly suppose that they will
b. heard for their much speaking,
and therefore repeat their prayers.
Some use praying wheels; others use
beads; and still others repeat hum
dreds of times certain calculations.
None are heard except those of
Jesus followers, and Jesus counsels
these not to think that the length of
their prayers would make them az
ceptable with the Father. They have
no need to offer long prayers, be-
cause, as Jesus said, Your Father
knOweth what things ye have need
OF before We ask Him Why then
should we ask at all? Because this
is the Divine arrangement. and evil
IDENTIFY with the purpose OF stimulat-
ing our faith and of giving us the
greater and the more frequent bless
inps, God thus deals with us as with
Gear children whom h. loves and
whom tie would educate into the
practices of life most helpful to them
selves. When Jesus had long prayers
to offer they We're never uttered in
public; lie went apart into the noun
tain. So with His followers; they
are to 10 aside and have their com
| MuniOn with the Father chiefly in
private, although fellowship in pub
lie pprayer in gatherings OF the
Lords people is distinctly approved,
A Form of Sound Words.
Responding to the request of His
F. disciples, Jesus gave Il sample of a
DrOper PRAYER. We note it's breyitv.
its simplicity. its directness. its or
derliness.
ca II opens with an Inscription OF
praise and a plea that We are COM
ing as children to father: Our
Father. which art in Heaven. hal
lowed (adored. honored) be Thy
name. Gods name represents His
character. Ills kingdom. His person
ality. First of all. then. We ascribc
honor. reverence, majesty. glory to
our Great Creator. who through lI4
appointed way We delight to call our
Father in Heaven.
| ca Next in order We acknowledge.
the Divine rule. authority. This
means that our hearts are submissiv,
to the will of God. for joy or sorrow
Tor pleasure or pain. for life on
death. and We are continuing to ex
press our confidence in the pivin,
power and promise that ultimatel,
I the Divine will shall be as fully an,
Q completely done in the earth as il i,
: done in Heaven" In this We rccos
I nizc the coming of Mcssiah'S king
g dom and indirectly our own hope
connected With that kingdom i,
= dispensing the blessings of piyin
d power and mercy to mankind. - a
IS 10 cffert the regeneration of all tn
y willing and obcdient of mankind.
,. Ga Our daily needs. our dali
d bread. is next the subject of request
: Give us this day our daily bread.
IL How simple. God has promised tina
II our bread and our water shall he sur
j. in the sense that He will not forge
Is us and our needs. In our petition
g We merely suggest that We are wal,