Evening star., 1928-11-24
Sunday School Lesson

tinued making mention of you in my
prayers" Evidently this was a part
OF his daily practice Of remembering
the converts of his ministry, the
churches he had established, and the
special needs of his friends in prayer,
when he was making his petitions to
God. He rejoiced in their spiritual
prosperity He felt their trials, troubles,
and testings Of adversely as If they
were his own. We all ought to give
larger place in our lives to the practice
of prayer. 1t is vital and essential to
our religious life and spiritual advance
ment.
The fellowship between God and our
selves is sustained by personal prayer
on the basis of worship and spiritual
communion. This is the first and
greatest requirement. Prayer will lack
power and fail to bring us blessings
unless we are following the example of
Paul, remember at our devotions to the
Lord to endeavor to make our requests
extend far beyond ourselves into the
realm of interceSSion and human fell
lowship." We must expand the geo.
graphical limits of our prayers until
they take in all nations and embrace
all classes and people throughout the
world, so that our prayers will be as
wide as Christ's kingdom. Our prayers
will then be full OF thanksgiving and
rejoicing. Just as PaulS were in refer
ence to the Church in Ephesus.
A Sample Prayer.
In answer to the greatest request
ever mare to the Lord. our Savior
gave to His disciples the model prayer.
This disciples prayer, generally called
elements of prayer and is so broad that
it can be used universally by men of
every known faith. The petitions of
Paul are more limited. Many people
complain that they do not know how
to pray. A study Of the prayers OF the
Bible would suggest to them the
method and means Of prayer The re-
quests contained in the recorded prayer
that the apostle offered on behalf Of
the Ephesions reveal his ideal for
them and what kind of Christians We
ought to seek to become.
One studies the prayers 70 the apostle
and finds only a few references to
physical benefits. His petition for the
Ephesians covered all the possible
dimensions-breadth, height. length.
depth. He prayed that they should
have spiritual dimensions, spiritual
strength, spiritual stability, spiritual
growth. spiritual apprehension. He
recognized that they needed to be
strong in Christ If the two elements in
their membership. Jewish and Chris
tian, were to maintain their harmony
and do effective work for the Lord
Jesus. He sought this from the
Father, from whom every family in
heaven and on earth is named" II
our families are to be preserved in
heaven then we need revival of the
old family altar in our homes. He
sought this strength according to the
glorious riches of Gods grace" and not
through any merits OF the church
members.
In seeking the spiritual stability of
the church, Paul revealed that the
strength of the church was not in its
numbers, social, physical or intellectual
life. The church will preserve It's sta
bility and power only as its inner life,
the spiritual life Of its members is ener-
gized by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The upkeep of the Christian and the
church depends upon their fellowship
through the Holy Spirit with the Lord
Jesus. Only as we are dwelling deep
in Him can we keep our spiritual
power. No Christian lives for himself.
He Is part Of ChriSts body and Is full
of the joys of Christian life by a re-
ciprocal life with all the other members
of the church.
Spiritual development depends upon
the Christians knowledge of the
Masters love. While this experience
surpasses knowledge 1t does not destroy