The Arvada enterprise., 1923-02-08
IMPROVED UNIFORM INTERNATIONAL
Sll1n}daySchoel q
' Lesson
By REV. P. B. FlTzwATER. D. D,
Teacher Of English Ribie In the Moody
Bible Institute Of Chicago)
Sopyrisht. 1914 Western Newspaper Union
LESSON FOR FEBRUARY II
THE SPIRIT or PRAYER

THE SPIRIT or PRAYER
| LESSON TENT Luke 1S:l-N
| GOLDEN TENT-The sacrifices OF God
| arc broken spirit: a broken and contrits
| heart, . Eod. thou wilt not dcsp,se-
Palm SllI
REFERENCE MATERlAl~Matt SIS
IS; Luke l5;e-2+; John 4:23. n.
PRIMARY TopIC-How Two Men
| Prayed.
| JUNIOR TOPIC-iow to Pray.
| INTERMEDIATES AND SENIOR TOPIC
| Prayer that God Answers.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC
Secret to Prevailing Prayer.
!. Men Ought Always to Pray ". ~.
Prayer is absolutely necessary to the
spiritual life. 1t Is to the spiritual life
what breathing Is to the physical life.
Slen ought to pray under every variety
of circumstance-in times Of sorrow
and burdens for strength to endure:
III times Of JOY and success for grace
to behave Alright. Prayer ought to be
persisted in even when the answer IL
| not Immediately seen. God does hear
and answer prayer even when we do
not understand the mysteries of delay.
u. The Urgent Prayer Of a Widow
wv. 2-S).
The picture here Is OF helpless
widow who was being cheated out OF
her property rights, coming to II god
less judge for redress. Her only
means OF getting help was to prove the
Justice of her claim by her persist
ence. Even this did not gain nccess to
his heart, for he feared not God nor
regarded men. He compiled with her
request In order to get rid OF her.
| The point here is not that God is like
this unjust judge and can be tcased
into compliance, but rather that II
| such action can be secured on the part
of goddess judge by persistence, how
much surer will be the help of God
to those who cry unto Him day and
night.
The helpless widow pictures the
church In this age suffering the de-
privution of her rights. 1t Is not the
church praying for vengeance upon
her enemies, but suing for the pos
session OF her rights by virtue OF her
covenant relation In Christ. The In.
hcritance of the church will he actual
Ized at the coming Of Christ. This
IL why the truth concerning the com
ing of Christ Is so vital to Christian
ity. and why such disastrous cODse-
quences follow the loss of the Blessed
Hone.
The apparent delay In the vindIcn.
ton Of the church may dishcnrten
some and cause others to mock Ul
Peter 3:D. Jesus question should be
n solemn warming against allowing
.he apparent delay OF the coming OF
the Lord to crowd out our praying.
Though many .may give up we should
no assured that genuine faith will
,bide, and that the divine promise con-
"erning the coming of Christ shall be
fulfilled. We can be sure of God.
~. Tho Prayer Of tho Proud
7harisee (vv. 0-12).
I. lie Took n Striking Attitude
~. 1D. The Jewish custom was to
stand while praying. but the word
'atood" implies the assumption OF mn
,s:entatious position He was self
.lghtcous and trusted In himself.
.. He Prayed With Himself wv. II,
ICY. lie used the name OF God. but II
vas really a soliloquy. He pretended
10 he thanking God when renlly he
ras reh'nrslng his own goodness
ompiimenting himself. His whole
thought ccntered In himself. lie con-
gratula,.,i himself for ~ his morality
Wv. ~. He thanked God that he
Hns not ms other men nre. such as
rxtorti"nc-s. unjust. nhultcrers. or
,vcn rs the publican who was stand.
ng afnr on. t2) His Religious Merits
~. ~. He tasted twice II week and
-avr ti'hcs of all he possessed. lie
hrs informed God that he did more
'hnn wns required. implying that God
rns under obligation 10 him.
W. The Prayer Of the Humble
publican ". l3).
In striking contrast with this sup.
,osci saint stood the publican whose
shame kept him from even looking
M to Heaven. beating upon his brcns,
~ n sign OF anguish of soul. crying
nut 30 God to be mcrciful to him, n
sinner. He took his plnce ns sinner
and called upon God for mercy.
v. Christ's Testimony ". lD.
lie declared thnt the publican went
away Justified rather 'hnn the phnri.
~.e. The one great md urgent need
~ the part ~ men II n confession Of
ain nnd n willingness to cry unto God
for mercy.