Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-01
Sunday School Lesson
By
Rev. Hugh T. Stevenson.

The neglect Of prayer life is response
BILE for the weakness and waywardness
of many profesSed Christians. Jesus
sought by precept and practice to teach
His disciples the importance OF their
prayer life. Jesus emphasized that 1t
was not the posture and place but the
purpose Of prayer that makes 1t a
spiritual value. He was the f1rSt
founder of religion to clearly enJoln
secret and silent prayer.
Our Lord criticized the practice OF
Baal's prophets, Persian mystics, Bud
dhist worshippers and the practices of
the Pharisees in using vain repetionS. He
outlined to His disciples a model prayer
to serve as a guide for their devotions.
While this is usually called the Lords
prayer, it ought to be called His dis
ciples' prayer. Although 1t emphasized
the thoroughly Jewish social principles
of prayer, the fraternal spirit, that
ought to exist between all who call God
Father" it possesses such a universal
scope that at the World Parliament of
Religions. held in Chicago during the
World Fair of 1893, it was the only
prayer that men of all nationalitieS,
races and religions could use together
in their public worship.
Gods Kingdom First.
This prayer reverses the common
order OF mems prayers, for 1t puts f1rSt
God and His Kingdom and then man.
Usually men turn to the Lord and seek
first of all their own needs. Our Lord
gave us this prayer, not as a form, but
as a suggestion for the substance and
spirit, for at q later time He gave the
apostles in almost the same words the
model prayer. There are two parts to
this prayer The first. as Grifnth has
well said, teaches us to pray for the
Fathers honor, dominion, service, and
then for our preservation, pardon, pro-
lection
Not only did Jesus emphasize the fact
that Gods Kingdom should be given f1rst
place in prayer, but He also taught that
1t should be first in the investments of
our finances. If we give His Kingdom
place in our life. Our hands, hearts
and heads will all be thoroughly con-
Secrated to His service. We will recog-
nize the fact that life is not given us to
a1naSs great fortunes, but ito lay UP
treasures in Heaven" where no dis
turbance In Wall Street can destroy the
value of our life's effort If we have
given our all to Him to be used in the
work Of His Kingdom, we have placed
the investments Of life where they can
not be lost. The forces of nature can
not destroy or the efforts of predatory
men take from us the results of our
life's investments In the Kingdom of
God. We must not permit money to
come between us and serving God.
Jesus insisted that we should seek
first the Kingdom of God and His
righteousness. If we do that we need
not worry about the outcome. If we
are anxious about what we shall eat,
drink or wear it is evident that we have
not thoroughly consecrated ourselves to
our Father and the work of His King
dom. Let us make no thought for the
future, but prove our trust in the Mas
ter's word by seeking first the reign of
God In our life and work, as well as in
the world, and we will never want, for
He will supply all these things. Our
Father desires sincerity and reality in
our fellowship and life. We prove the
genuineness of our religion by taking
Christ at His word that calls upon us
to seek first the reign Of God in all of
our affairs, doing His will and work,
leaving the rewards and results with
Him, knowing that He will supply all of
our wants and needs. If we put God
first in all of our seeking, then people,
possessions and provisions will follow in
their right place. Let US fear not and
in all of our efforts put first in our
thought, prayer and work the Kingdom
of God and His righteousness, then all
the things we really need He will pro-
vide for us according to His promise.