The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-10-20

| Romans ~: l2).
For the doctrine and duty Of
PRAYER we look first Of all to Jesus
rho magnified it both by precept
and practice. In the Sermon on
| the Nourt ne spoke Of the SIN
cerity and the sentiment Of pray
or.
THE SINCERITY OF PRAYER
(verses $50
The prayer that pleases God
must be sincere. In our personal
Ievotions privacy is better than
publicity, the closet preferable to
| synagogue or street corner. In
our praying we are not to be as
hypocrites who Gas the word
means) are but actors, mask
wearers, pretenders. Their only
place Of prayer is public, their on
| w purpose is to attract notice, and
their only reward is a cheap repu-
tatiOn for piety. Far to the con-
trary. the true worshiper IS to
seek his inner chamber, to retreat
into absolute retirement where he
can shut out the world with all its
concerns and shut in his soul be-
fore the Mercy-Seat, and there he
may offer to the Father the re-
ward-bringing prayer. It is not
said that public prayer is wrong
or that secret prayer is always
right, for there are such things as
ostentatious privacy and unosten-
tatious publicity. But prayer must
be always sincere.
THE SENTIMENT OF PRAYER
(verses 7-l5O
The prayer that pardons men
will be unselfish. The multiplied
babblings Of the heather furnish
wraning to the believer. They
think the value of prayer depends
on the number and length Of pray
ers offered. But prayer is weigh
ed. not measured or counted; null
duplication Of words can never
make up for emptiness. Not fire.
quency, but frequency for effect,
is vain. Not repetition, but un-
meaning repetition is unavailing.
God knows our need before our
prayers ascend; hence prayer
must come from the heart if it
arises higher than the head.
Graciously he gives a pattern
which is often called "the Lords
prayer" Ia title dating from the
third century, though the version
usually offered comes from Gran
mer's Prayer Book rather than
a form because at later date he
gave a model duke II: pa in
language slightly different from
that recorded here. AS the Deca-
logue falls into two parts so does
this model of social prayer, the
first petitions relating to God and
the others to man. AS Griffith
says, eve pra" for our Fathers
honor, dominion, service; and
then for our preservation, pardon,
protection. The invocation pre-
sents (Williams) the parentage-
Father; the brotherhood - our
Father; and the home-our Father
which art in heaven. The first pc
tition desires that the divine name
should be sanctified. held sacred,
revered. 1t should be honored, not
blasphemed, reverenced and not
polluted. The second petition
yearns for the spread of the divine
Kingdom which then was begun
under fair auspices and one day
will be established throughout the
earth. The third petition wishes
everything on earth to be pleas
ing to God even as it is in heaven.
The term will is used (Broadus)
in three senses: Gods will of pur-
pose always comes to pass; his
will of desire not always on earth
as in heaven; >hile his will of
command is ofGen and flagrantly
disobeyed. The fourth petition
looks to God for our daily bread.
Physical nourishment day by day
is needed. That our labor may
produce it and that when produc-
ed we may partake of it and be
by it is a legitimate
object of prayer. The fifth petit
ton concerns our untitled moral
obligations and shortcomings in
the service of God. The temper of
the penitent is and must be that
of forgiveness. As Broadus re-
marks: "This does not present our
forgiveness of others as the
ground of our being forgiven, nor
as strictly the measure of Gods
forgiveness towards US; but by
comparing the forgiveness we
supplicate with that we have
shown, it states very implicitly the
idea that the unforgiving can nev-
er be forgiven" The sixth petit
ton calls for divine leadership in
the midst of the tests of life and
divine deliverance from the Sc
auctions and pitfalls of the Evil
One. The familiar words of the
Doxology are wanting in the best
manuscripts and hence do not ap-
pear in our revised versions. "But
while this closing doxology may
not be in the inspired text, it fits
like crown upon the whole pray
er, and is eminently appropriate
for private and public use..""c
PRAY
% Pray to the right person.
"Thy Father-our Father, We
must go to the Mercy-Seat. The
road is open before. US, to the
4 4Rr2Ps Of is e opss sss ear 9i the
(2) Pray at the right time.
when thou prsyest." The Psalm
list prayed at morning, at noon,
and at evening. Daniel observed
the same devotional periods. Nehe-
miah prayed on the spur of the
moment as he bore the royal cup
to the Persian king. Jesus spent