Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-16


Prayer Is a natural and universal ele-
ment o. religion, for all men pray. 1t
is this fact that makes them "incurably
religious" Other faiths have their
rules, regulations and rituals that illus
trate the natural principles OF prayer
and that prompt all men in hours Of
trial to seek help from above. Chris
tians are guided In their communion
with God by the precepts Of the Lord
Jesus and His practice Of prayer: It Is
our highest privilege and duty to pray
est power In the world. Tennyson was
right when he said. More things are
wrought by prayer than this world
dreams Of" It is the foundation OF
every successful life. The prayer OF
faith links up the soul with Gods ON
nipotent power house and becomes the
channel for divine communication. This
enables one to find strength in prayer
life when the closet door Is shut so that
God may impart to us His Holy Spirit
The Masters disciples were familiar
with the lonely, prolonged and humble
prayer Of Abraham when the friend OF
God pied with Jehovah to spare Sodom
While Abraham persevered, God drew
near unto him and answered his petit
tons. Every one of them knew how
Moses lost sight of himself when he
pied with Jehovah to turn His fierce
anger away from the people who had
sinned. The prayer Of the great law
giver was based upon the glory of God
the vindication Of His holy name, the
accomplishment of His oath made in
His promises to Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob. It was powerful plea and Sc
cured an answer. They were encour-
aged to pray by the microscopy prayer
Of Nehemiah. the patriotic deliverer OF
his people, who abandoned every per-
sonal ambition when he learned of the
desperate condition Of his fellow coun-
trymen In his desire to remedy their in
tolerahle condition. Daniels example In
the face Of danger Of continuing to pray
at the same time and In the same place
with his face toward Jerusalem, taught
them. as 1t does us, to have q fixed time
and place for prayer. They understood
Johns instructions to his disciples about
prayer. They were witnesses Of the
Masters communion with the Father
They recognized that the pre-eminence
power and personality Of the Lore
Jesus was closely associated with Hi.
prayer life, to that extent that the only
thing that they requested Him to teach
them was how to pray.
The Principles Of Prayer.
In His Sermon on the Mount tn,
Master emphasized the principles O
prayer. When we make our prayers IL
accordance with the eternal principles
that He taught, we will not be per
picked by any problems concerning
prayer or unanswered prayer. Anothe
writer has said: THE failures which
prayers experience are caused by tn
same reasons that cause failures II
other lines Of human activities-lack o
knowledge OF, or obedience to, the Law
which conditions prayer power" Insin
certify places q limit upon prayer power
This was illustrated by the hypocrites
whose motives for public praying wer
, false. Prayer should not be made +
influence men, but God. "The secre
Of religion is religion In secret" wher
we reverently speak to God and tel
Him what Is on our mind. The Phari
see reveals the wrong spirit and tn
publican the true way of approaching
God. Jesus condemned the heathen'
senseless worship of idols and endles
repetition of their formal prayers, VIII
expected their answers because of thei
numberleSS repetitions. Faiths genuin
desire Is the essential basis.
In the model prayer that the Maste
taught His disciples In the Sermon Of
quest to be taught how to pray, we d,
not find the same form, because Jesu
did not seek to teach them a form o
prayer, but a model for their prayers
For brevity, simplicity, directneSs, com
prehension and spirituality 1t has neve
been surpassed by the ritual of any re
ligion. Five of the eighteen prayer
used in the Jewish synagogue worship
are included in this suggestive pattern
The model prayer has two main, divi
sion. each with equal subdivisions. Jesu
encs lrages us to pray by revealing Go,
to u,' as Our Father. The first elenen
In prayer Is contained in the two open
Ing words of the model prayer. The.
contain q declaration Of faith, which
the basis Of prayer, and the right wa.
Of approach to God, because they re
veal His attitude toward His people ant
their true relation to Him. Ariothe
revelation Of God Is contained in tn
revelation of Him as King. AS sucl
He Is entitled to the honor, respect
confidence and esteem Of His people
His name, which stands for His per
sonality. must be adored and hallowed
This calls for our giving Him the frs
place in our thought, life, speech an,
service, so that we may bring no dis
grace on God as our Father and King
When we pray for the establishment o
His kingdom, we commit ourselves u
the work of helping to establish God,
will among men. This spiritual aspira
ton is prayer at its best.
In the second division we find tina
the Master reversed the usual order b,
placing personal petitions last. On
finds a threefold division concerning
mans life that considers his present
past and future. Daily bread, sufficien
for the days needs. is comprehensive,
petition that calls for the supply Of tn,
needs Of the body, mind and spirit, 81
that we can have the strength needed
to promote the kingdom of God OF
earth. Underneath the quest for tn,
forgiveness of sins is the plea for thu
restoration of the fellowship that ma,
have been broken by some persona
sin. It is the easiest understood. bu
the hardest to pray, for it is baset
upon our possessing a forgiving spirit
One whose heart is not willing to for
give others cannot enjoy, much less re-
ceive, Gods forgiveness. The final re-
quest recognizes human weakness. Th'
uyyUoacfioo ~ avt1 nolIe for 0ra IN rAr.