How To Pray

Pray Fraternally

“After this manner, therefore, pray ye.”—Matthew 6:9

“Our Father.” We have seen that real prayer though public is secret in that it deals with God alone, and now it appears that even solitary prayer should be social. We are so united in family ties to all Christians that one of us cannot suffer without all suffering and none of us can rejoice without all rejoicing. A blessing upon one is, therefore, a blessing upon all and a curse upon one is a curse upon all. “I,” “me,” and “my” do not occur in this prayer, while “we,” “us,” and “our” occur nine times.

The phrase “in heaven” is worthy of our study. “In the heavens” is in the literal translation. To the Jewish and Oriental mind, there were three heavens. The first was the region of air and cloud where winds blew, thunder pealed, and lightning flashed. The second heaven was the region of sun, moon, and stars—the sidereal heavens, vaster to our vision since the telescope was invented than it was before. The third heaven, to which Paul was caught up, whether in body or out of it he could not tell (2 Corinthians 12:2), was the region of God’s throne and glory, the home of the angels.

Now “Our Father” is in all these heavens. He rules supreme, everybody believes, in the heaven of light and life and glory. But astrologers taught that the stars ruled over the destinies of men. To be born under an evil star was a very bad omen. The moon struck people with madness. “Our Father” is God of sun, moon, and stars. He is great enough to fill the infinitude of space. Because we are under His care, the sun shall not smite us by day, nor the moon by night. Sun, moon, and stars are obedient servants doing His will. “Our Father” also rules in the elements of air and clouds. There is a prince of the powers of the air. He is a rebellious prince, usurping a portion of our Father’s dominions and we are not afraid of him. Wind, cloud, cold, and heat, thunder and lightning are the messengers of God. Some people are so afraid of lightning that they go to bed and cover up their heads during a storm. But their fears are groundless. Charles H. Spurgeon, the great preacher, would go out into the storm, though he became drenched, that he might, he said, listen to his Father’s voice in thunder and see the flash of His eye in lightning, and he was not afraid.

“God rules in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform,
He plants his footsteps on the sea
And rides upon the storm.”

When Peary reached the North Pole he was not beyond the care of “our Father,” who could guard him in that frigid weather and keep him as safe as if he were in the perpetually mild climate of southern California. Our Father rules in all the heavens.

Pray Reverently

“Hallowed be thy name.” Though children with the privilege of familiarity, we must not forget to be reverent. America specially needs to learn this lesson. In England, there is a reverence in the house of God which is lacking in this country. But more important than a sacred place is the sacred name. The pious Jew had such reverence for the name of Jehovah that he never pronounced it. It lost its vowel points by disuse, so that Hebrew scholars differ today as to how it ought to be pronounced. Let no word pass our lips which in any way takes the name of God in vain. As the altar in the temple was sanctified, set apart for holy uses, so let every name of God be sanctified, set apart only to reverent and adoring use. Speak it only when the soul looks up.

Pray Loyally And Hopefully

“Thy kingdom come.” Our Father is a King and, while we are permitted to be lovingly familiar, we must be loyally true. Disloyalty to the king is treason. The King came to Earth and they rejected Him. The church is a parenthesis between the rejected King and the coming kingdom. At some time, perhaps soon, the King will return to set up His kingdom. It is our business to make ready for His return and welcome Him when He comes.

His kingdom has many provinces. It may be that this Earth is the only province in His vast dominions of planets and stars that is in rebellion against him. When the rebellion began in Eden centuries ago, the King might have used His power in destroying the rebels, and any time since then, He might have sent His legions of angels for their destruction or forced subjection. But His love prompted Him to another course. His purpose is to conquer by His love. He would storm the citadel of our hearts by the power of Gethsemane and Calvary.

It is said of a great general that he intended to destroy all his enemies, and when he had captured the opposing army, he forgave them and sent them home to their families. When asked why he did not keep his word, he replied, “I have destroyed all my enemies. They are now my friends.” God would destroy all His enemies by making them His friends through the power of His forgiving love as manifested in Jesus Christ on the cross.

While we pray for the coming of the King in His glory, it is our duty and privilege to let Him come in His grace. Let us crown Him in the province of our hearts and lives. “Make Jesus King” was the telegram sent by Japanese Christian Endeavorers to a great world’s convention, and it is ours to heed that request. “Thy kingdom come.” Christ enthroned in every department of my being, intellectual, moral, spiritual, and physical. I would crown Him in the realm of religion, business, education, politics, and pleasures.

Pray Submissively And Aggressively

“Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” “Heaven” is here singular, and evidently refers to the highest heaven where God reigns in righteousness. In heaven, the will of God is done perfectly and joyfully. There is no resistance. His will is love and it is never violated. Such is the standard for Earth we are to have before us and be satisfied with nothing less. This spirit will make us foreign missionaries and send us with the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth. It will also make us home missionaries, sending us into the avenues and alleys, wherever we can find a soul in rebellion against God. When this prayer is answered, we will not have to go to heaven. Heaven will have come to us. “Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly,” and bring it to pass.

Pray Dependently

“Give us this day our daily bread.” “This day,” of course, refers to time, but the word “daily,” which occurs nowhere else in the New Testament, has in it no thought of time. It means “needed,” “necessary.” Give us daily the food that is necessary for us, not only in quantity but also in quality. It is a prayer that we may have wisdom to eat the right kind of food in the right way at the right time. More people are hurt by gormandizing than by fasting.

The day laborer can pray this prayer, for a certain kind of food is necessary for the strengthening of his body for his manual toil. The writer, who sits at his desk, should pray this prayer, for he needs another kind of food for his nerves and brain. The millionaire can pray this prayer, for he needs wisdom that he may eat just the food he needs that he may eat to live rather than live to eat. While a certain multi-millionaire was in poor health, it is said that he carried with him in his travels a specialist to tell him what proportion of milk crackers he should eat. His millions could furnish an abundance of food, but special wisdom was required as to quality and quantity.

This prayer is, therefore, as appropriate for the man with a large bank account as for the man who walks the streets not knowing where his next meal is to come from. It is also a prayer for the housekeeper and the cook, that they may have skill and wisdom in selecting and preparing the food that is necessary for the family.

Pray Penitently

“Forgive us our debs as we forgive our debtors.” The word translated “debt” means “that which is justly or legally due.” An overdue obligation is a sin. It is not a sin to borrow or give your note promising to pay at a certain time. We really “owe no man anything” until the time for payment has arrived. But the moment an obligation becomes due, we must pay it or ask forgiveness of the creditor. To let an overdue obligation run on unadjusted is to live in sin. This applies to rent, grocer’s bills, millinery bills, and all other debts of individuals or churches. To neglect or refuse to pay a debt that is due is a sin to be confessed to the creditor.

Our sins against God are all debts overdue and we are bankrupt. We owe ten thousand talents and not a penny to pay. It is a debt to the justice of God, and the love of God in Jesus Christ makes full payment for all who will confess their sins and gratefully accept the payment.

Pray Cautiously

“Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” We should make no spectacular display of courage. As Gypsy Smith says, “A fence at the top of the precipice is better than a hospital at the bottom.” We should keep as far from danger as possible. Better use our strength in doing good than in resisting evil. But if with all our caution we fall into the snare of the devil and are caught in the meshes of his wiles, there is One able to deliver. Call to Him and He will come to your rescue. He will make a way of escape.