The Topeka state journal., 1914-01-31

e
/ OF the Ideal Prayer carries with It, in
the petition for daily bread. the idea
Of some cOndiment along with the
bread. Well that, II the way Chris
Itendom's prayers have been answered.
Very few persons in our land and time
know what 1t is to subSist on the bare
necessities of life. God has given us
bread well buttered. and cake also. The
daily prayer, expressed In trustful Pc
| tition and in faithful labor, for our sup
ply of food has been abundantly am
swered. Also the spirit Of brotherhood
has grown. under the influence Of the
teaching of Our Father" 70 that who
ever is in real need has but to make
known his wants to have them met.
Wise. indeed is this plan for having
all men everywhere pray daily that
their common needs may be met. That
tie links children to tho Father. And
it teaches US the great, deep lesson that
nothing that affects US IL too small to
command the interest Of Him who
marks the sparrow's fall. Nothing re-
veals the greatness and fatherliness OF
Good more than His solicitude for hui
man welfare in even the material
things of life.
Because He is q good Father, God
cannot ignore our prOfoundest human
and freedom from sin. The Teacher
put this into the pattern prayer which
He taught His learners. The quality
of forgtveness-that of the one who
prays being linked up inseparably with
that of the Omnipotent Answerer of
prayers basic to the higher life. We
all need forgiveness; the best of us, in
his highest hours, cOnfesses himself
but a sinner saved by grace. And by
the same token we need to forgive
that door leads into the likeness of
GOD.
Tv,~ c~cvv Nolvsv,s. ro~cI,or
Whatever is worth doing at all. Is
worth keeping on doing. Persistence
brings more than brilliancy in any
market. That men should pray with
out ceasing," Jesus taught by the story
of the man who went to a friend at
guests. The friend was sleepy, and lay,
with his whole family, on the common
Oriental floor-bed. His house was
locked up for the night. So he cried
out-the East still has no social
prescriptions against screaming mes
the request. But the neighbor per-
sisted, with q din that reused the
householders near by: and at length.
to still the disturbance and secure a
chance to go to sleep again, the un-
friendly neighbor got up and gave the
three loaves that were desired.
The story teaches by contrast. If
that is churlish mans way, how much
better Is the gracious Heavenly Faith
er's way? Even from this inadequate
parallel, learn. said Jesus, to keep on
asking until you receive. Mans i'm
portunity gives God an opportunity.
God will give you what you really
SEEK for He Is better than an earthly
father. However. like other parents
He loves to be asked by His children
for gifts. Therefore the threefold in
junction of Jesus, which in English
makes an acrostic:
A SIX
s eek
3 K mock
But, after all, insists some reader,
how does God answer prayer? That
is one of many Of Gods ways which
do not understand. L do not know
how He creates life. I do not know
how He maintains the universe. do
not know how He executes His count
less operations in nature. do not
know how He speaks to the spirit that
trusts Him. For all these I am con-
That He does answer prayer I know;
and so do tens Of millions Of other
Christians Also we know that
Prayer is the Christians vital
Without prayer the relations be-
tween God and man grow distant
and formal and joyless. AS one has
said, God quickly fades out Of the
life that forgets to pray" The law
Of prayer is beyond the natural or
der; but 1t is a law Of the spiritual
life which may not be broken with
out disaster.
A Birthday OF Bigness.