of worship, "when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad
countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto
men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou,
when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; that thou
appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret:
and thy Father which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly."
[Sidenote: The real value of worship.]
Now, it is not necessary to think that these sayings of Jesus are to
be taken literally. It is not absolutely necessary that, in order to
pray in secret, one should retire to his chamber and shut the door,
then pray; nor is it absolutely necessary that, in fasting, one should
anoint one's head and wash one's face. Jesus used these figures merely
to portray a condition opposite to that assumed by the hypocrites. But
Jesus wanted to teach that the value of worship depends upon the motive
that inspires it. If one gives alms to be seen of men and to be praised
therefore, one's reward lies there in the praise one receives. God will
bestow no other favor. Likewise, those who pray and fast to be praised
of men, get their reward in the worldly praise they receive. They
have not found God. They {87} are not in real, vital touch with Him.
Worldly ambitions have come between them and Him. In gaining the life
of this world they have lost life eternal. They have yielded to the
temptation of mere ostentation and display. And this spirit has entered
unfortunately, into the service of many churches. "Obviously," says a
noted student of the Bible, "many of the elaborate forms and ceremonies
which have developed in connection with the worship of the Christian
Church are contrary to His (Jesus's) spirit and teachings. Only in so
far as they lead the individual into closer personal touch with God are
they justifiable or of real value."
[Sidenote: Humility and sincerity.]
What then is the right attitude in worship? God Himself has declared,
you remember, that those who worship Him must do so in spirit and in
truth. The motive of worship is of more importance than the form.
The value of worship lies in humility, in laying aside all worldly
ambitions, in approaching close to God for the sole purpose of
communing with Him. It is better to lose one's worldly life in the
service of God, than to gain that worldly life and fail to find God;
for he who thus loses the worldly life, shall find life eternal.
"I give unto you these sayings," said Jesus once to Joseph the Prophet,
"that ye may understand and know how to worship, and know what you
worship, that you may come unto the Father in my name, and in due time
receive of His fulness; for if you keep my commandments you shall
receive of His fulness, and be glorified in me as I am in the Father;
therefore, I say unto you, you shall receive grace for grace."
{88} THE REFERENCES
Matt. 10:39. Matt. 6:5, 6.
Matt. 6:1-4. Matt. 6:16-18.
Doc. and Cov. 93:19, 20.
THE QUESTIONS
1. What did Jesus mean by the saying "He that findeth his life shall
lose it?"
2. What is the chief thing in a man's life?
3. Show how it is necessary to put ourselves in harmony with our
environments.
4. What is likely to come between us and close communion with God?
5. What is right attitude in worship?
6. Wherein lies the value of worship?
{89}
{90} PICTURE: JESUS PRAYING, Liska
{91}
XII
HOW TO PRAY
"And it came to pass, that, as (Jesus) was praying in a certain place,
when He ceased, one of His disciples said unto Him, Lord teach us to
pray, as John also taught his disciples.
"And He said unto them, When ye pray, say,
[Sidenote: The Lord's prayer.]
"Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom
come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day
our daily bread. And forgive us our sins: for we also forgive everyone
that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us
from evil."
This is the wonderfully simple prayer uttered by the Lord Himself--a
prayer that has guided the faith of Christians since first it was
spoken. You may have learned it as the disciple Matthew has recorded
it. Matthew's version is just a little different from Luke's, which is
here given. But Luke's version makes two or three points just a little
clearer, perhaps, than does Matthew's; so, we shall use it for our text
in this lesson.
[Sidenote: Jesus had found God.]
According to St. Luke, Jesus gave this prayer to His disciples in
response to the request, "Lord, teach us to pray." You have observed,
of course, that Jesus prayed often. He lived in close communion with
the Father in heaven. He Himself had found God; and He knew that God
will answer the prayer of the righteous. He knew, too, that only
through the prayer of faith can a man come close to God, and obtain in
full the blessings that {92} belong to him as a son of God. Therefore,
Jesus prayed often, and as no other man has prayed.
[Sidenote: The prayers of the Jews.]
But if you will study carefully the prayers of Jesus, and compare them
with other prayers preserved in the records of the Jews, you will find
His prayers quite different from those other prayers. The prayers used
anciently--and still used--in the Jewish service are very beautiful,
noble in their faith and devotion. But they were distinctly the prayers
of a special people, inspired by the thought that this special people
was also a chosen, a select people. The type prayer which Jesus gave,
on the other hand, while individual is yet universal in its appeal, and
in its application; it is concrete and practical, yet it is profoundly
spiritual. Of course, it was not intended by Jesus that all men should
repeat this prayer only and no other. He gave it merely as a type,
a model. Certainly, then, if we wish to know how to frame our own
prayers, it will be well to analyze this one.
First, then, you will observe that this prayer possesses the
characteristics that distinguish most of Jesus's prayers.
[Sidenote: The prayer of Jesus.]
It is brief.
It is direct.
It is sincere.
It is unselfish.
It expresses a simple, unshakable confidence in the goodness of God.
Jesus addresses God as Father. So should man address God. Man should
learn to think of God as the Father of our spirits, and go to Him with
the same simple trust and confidence manifested by a little child {93}
when it runs with outstretched arms to its earthly father. Jesus felt
and manifested that perfect unity between father and son.
[Sidenote: The Lord's prayer analyzed.]
"Hallowed be Thy name." In this phrase, Jesus taught that we should
recognize the sanctity of the name of Jehovah, and at the same time
that we should show our reverence and devotion. This is a personal,
individual and profound emotion on the part of him who prays sincerely.
Then Jesus prayed, "Thy kingdom come." Perhaps you do not fully realize
what this petition means when you repeat it in your prayers. What is
the use of praying for the kingdom of God to come to earth if we do
not help in its establishment? When we utter this petition, then, we
virtually promise that we ourselves will do all in our power to help.
Only then can God's will be done, "as in heaven, so in earth." And the
doing of the will of God is, throughout the teachings of Jesus, the
essential element in the establishment of God's reign.
These petitions, you will notice, are of universal interest. Now, Jesus
asks for that which will meet and satisfy personal needs. "Give us day
by day our daily bread." But even here, the petition is an expression
of implicit confidence in God's power to provide, and in His unlimited
love, rather than merely a request for some specific gift. Its meaning
has been interpreted in these words: "Provide for us each day that
which Thou, in Thy Fatherly care and wisdom, seeth is needful for us."
The fourth petition is also full of meaning. "Forgive us our sins; for
we also forgive everyone that is indebted to us." Jesus emphasized
time and again in His ministry the necessity of forgiving others, if
we would ourselves be {94} forgiven. Only in a spirit of humility and
sincere worship can we approach the throne of God.
The last petition has been often misunderstood. "Lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from evil." Certainly the words as they
are here recorded do not clearly represent the meaning of Jesus. Yet,
perhaps, even in the days of the apostles some people had failed to
understand. For James wrote once, "Let no man, who is being tempted,
say, 'my temptation is from God,' for God is not to be tempted Himself
by evil and He tempts no man, but each man is tempted with evil when
he is drawn away by his own lusts and enticed." The petition in the
Lord's prayer is, therefore, a petition for strength to overcome. Its
meaning is, "Deliver us from temptations which we can not withstand."
Or, as our own Prophet has phrased it, "Leave us not in temptation, but
deliver us from evil."
[Sidenote: Teach us to pray.]
These general points in the type prayer given by Jesus, it is well to
remember. God is not to be reached by many words. It is the broken
spirit and the contrite heart that call down the love of the Father.
Neither will the hollow, selfish prayer please the Father of us all.
But as we pray, finding our own words in which to express the desires
of our hearts, let us remember the characteristics of the prayer that
Jesus gave.
It is brief.
It is direct.
It is sincere.
It is unselfish.
It expresses a simple, unshakable confidence in the providence of God.
{95} Moreover, Jesus prayed often. So should we all. Only then may we
hope to live in the presence of God.
"O Thou by whom we come to God,
The Life, the Truth, the Way!
The path of prayer Thyself hath trod;
Lord, teach us how to pray."
THE REFERENCES
Luke 11:1-4.
THE QUESTIONS
1. Repeat the Lord's prayer.
2. What prompted Jesus to utter this prayer?
3. What is the difference between the Lord's prayer, and the prayers of
the Jews in general?
4. What are the characteristics of Jesus's prayers?
5. Analyze the Lord's prayer.
6. What do we learn to guide us in our own prayers?
{96} PICTURE: RIVER JORDAN, PALESTINE
{97}
XIII
PERSISTENCE IN PRAYER
[Sidenote: The Lord will answer.]
Everyone who has prayed devoutly and sincerely has undoubtedly
experienced at times the keenest kind of disappointment because he
has not received an immediate answer to his prayer, Perhaps you have
yourself prayed sometimes for something that you wanted badly. It was
an insistent, an urgent desire. You felt that you could hardly wait
even to utter the prayer. Yet, your prayer has remained apparently
unanswered. At such times you may have found comfort in this beautiful
Sunday School hymn:
"Unanswered yet? Tho' when you first presented
This one petition at the Father's throne,
It seemed you could not wait the time of asking,
So urgent was your heart to make it known.
Tho' years have passed since then, do not despair;
The Lord will answer you, sometime, somewhere."
This is a beautiful hope, a sublime faith; and every one of us should
cultivate such hope, such faith. Moreover, everyone of us should
practice such persistency in prayer as is described by the poet in this
hymn.
"The prayer your lips have pleaded
In agony of tears these many years?"
For very often, without question, our prayers fail to move the Father,
because they are not urged upon Him, nor are they upheld by that
hopeful trust which knows no wavering. Jesus emphasized two points in
this connection that we should grapple to our hearts.
[Sidenote: Pray often and persistently.]
As we have already learned, Jesus condemned long. {98} repetitious
prayers. He despised also the hypocrite, and the hollow prayer of
the hypocrite. But Jesus did not mean by such condemnation that we
should not appear often before the persistently. Father, and press the
case for which we are pleading. On the contrary, as you will readily
see from the following parables, Jesus emphasized the importance of
persistency in prayer.
[Sidenote: The importunate friend.]
"And (Jesus) said unto them. Which of you shall have a friend, and
shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three
loaves; for a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have
nothing to set before him? And he from within shall answer and say,
Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me
in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. I say unto you, Though he will
not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his
importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth."
[Sidenote: The unrighteous judge.]
"And (again) He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought
always to pray, and not to faint; Saying, There was in a city a judge,
which feared not God, neither regarded man: and there was a widow in
that city: and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.
And he would not for awhile: but afterward he said within himself.
Though I fear not God, nor regard man; yet because this widow troubleth
me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And
the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God
avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear
{99} long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily."
[Sidenote: An urgent desire necessary.]
These parables speak sufficiently for themselves. The lesson that
Jesus wanted to impart is clear. It is important that we persist in
the prayer that we want urgently to be fulfilled. However, it was not
Jesus's purpose to teach His disciples merely to repeat constantly an
urgent prayer. Merely repeating a prayer is really of no more worth
than uttering a long prayer full of repetitions. Jesus taught that
Father gives His best and choicest gifts only to those who desire them
intensely. We keep on praying for those things that we truly want,
because the desire for them is urgent, intense and insistent; and we
keep on keeping on.
[Sidenote: Implicit trust necessary.]
But there is a second element that must necessarily enter into the
right attitude in prayer to God. Not only should our prayers express
our intense desires, and be spoken frequently, but they should be
accompanied by a simple, childlike trust and confidence in God.
[Sidenote: Seek first the kingdom of God.]
"Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall
drink," taught Jesus; "Nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on.
Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the
fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather
into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much
better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto
his stature.
"And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field,
how they grow; they toil not, {100} neither do they spin: and yet I say
unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one
of these. Wherefore, If God so clothe the grass of the field, which
today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more
clothe you, O ye of little faith? . . . .
"Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these
things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the
morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.
Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."
[Sidenote: Labor and confidence hand in hand.]
Now, Jesus did not mean by this splendid teaching that we should not
plan for the future; nor that we should not be industrious and spin
and weave and harvest. His illustrations impress the thought that we
should not allow ourselves to fret over the petty worries and anxieties
of life. God knows our needs before we utter them. We should rely
implicitly then upon His providence, knowing that if we serve Him and
do our best, He will care for us as well as for the birds of the air
and the lilies of the field.
[Sidenote: The sin of worry.]
Undue anxiety may be called almost a sin. It preys upon the peace of
mind and happiness of untold thousands of men and women. The most
learned and efficient men in the world have devoted much of their time
to the study of worry; but no one of them has found a cure for it. Many
books have, however, been written advising this or that course of life
to overcome the evil, and all these books possess value. But it is to
be noted that the cause of worry in any man is {101} usually something
over which man has no control. Neither worry, nor any other thing that
man may do, can change the nature of things. We are forced therefore to
admit that the only cure for worry known to man is that presented by
Jesus. His cure consists of a childlike faith and trust in the goodness
of God--a trust so simple and strong that anxious care can find no
place in the mind. It consists of such a confidence in the providence
of God as Abraham displayed when he was commanded to offer his dearly
beloved son Isaac on the altar of sacrifice. Abraham wavered not; he
worried not; and God provided the sacrifice that was meet. Of course,
it requires courage, patience, and persistent effort to cultivate so
supreme a degree of faith. Yet, one who has it not can hardly say with
truth that he has learned fully to know God. Indeed, such sublime faith
alone marks the truly converted and nobly devoted soul; whereas the
lack of such faith reveals a lack of fulness of trust in God--almost a
disloyalty to God. One cannot in this world attain to real peace and
happiness without implicit faith in God. Without it, one can not keep
on keeping on in fervent prayer to God.
[Sidenote: God knows best.]
Finally, it must be remembered that another phase of this childlike
trust may affect the answer to our prayers. If they remain unanswered,
it may be because it is best for us so. No other man has ever suffered
as did Jesus in Gethsemane. No other man has ever prayed as Jesus did
there. Yet, recall the spirit of that prayer. "O my Father, if it be
possible, let this cup pass from {102} me: nevertheless not as I will
but as Thou wilt." This is the true spirit of faith-inspired prayer.
[Sidenote: Thy will be done.]
Such petitions Jesus would have us utter. He would have us pray
constantly for those things that we desire intensely. He would have us
repose implicit childlike trust in the Heavenly Father. He would have
each one of us feel always, "Nevertheless not my will, but Thine, be
done." And in this spirit He would have us always keep on keeping on.
THE REFERENCES
Luke 11:5-8. Matt. 6:25-30.
Luke 18:1-8. Matt. 6:33-34.
THE QUESTIONS
1. What should be the feeling of one whose prayer is not immediately
answered?
2. What is the lesson conveyed in the Sunday School hymn "Unanswered
Yet?"
3. Why are our prayers often unanswered?
4. What is the difference between long repetitious prayers and frequent
prayers?
5. What is the meaning of the parable of the importunate friend?
6. What is the lesson of the parable of the unrighteous judge?
7. Why is childlike trust and confidence in God necessary in prayer?
8. What did Jesus mean by teaching "Take no thought for your life?"
9. How can anxiety or worry be called almost a sin?
10. What lesson do we derive from the attitude of Jesus in the
wonderful prayer in Gethsemane?
{103}
{104} PICTURE: "LORD HELP ME." Plockhorst
{105}
XIV
THE POWER OF FAITH
[Sidenote: Confidence vs. Faith]
It is, of course, evident to you now that the two essentials of
acceptable prayer are implicit reliance on the wisdom and the goodness
of God, and the spirit of forgiveness. The first is the only attitude
that can be rightly assumed toward God; and the second is the attitude
that we should all assume toward our fellowmen. There is certainly no
use in praying to God if we do not trust Him; and as certainly, God
will not forgive us and answer our prayers, if we are unwilling to
forgive our fellowmen and help them. But this attitude of unwavering
trust in God is really more than merely an essential of prayer. It is a
principle of power in both the spiritual and the temporal life of man.
In this lesson we shall consider the power of faith--the invincible
power of childlike confidence.
[Sidenote: The incident of the fig tree.]
It is recorded that Jesus cursed one morning a certain fig tree that it
should no more bear fruit. The next morning, as Jesus and the disciples
passed by from Bethany to Jerusalem, they saw that the fig tree was
dried up from the roots. "And Peter, calling to remembrance, saith unto
(Jesus), Master, behold, the fig tree which Thou cursedst is withered
away!
"And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily
I say unto you. That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou
removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his
heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to
pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
{106} [Sidenote: Forgiveness accompanies prayer.]
"Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray,
believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. And when ye
stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any: that your Father
also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do
not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your
trespasses."
Like the other sayings of Jesus, this one, too, is full of meaning and
interest. But as with the other sayings, too, the meaning of this one
is easy to find. If we try to remember what we have learned in the
preceding lessons, we shall be able easily to understand this one.
[Sidenote: Reason for concrete examples.]
Many people have stumbled because of this forceful saying of Jesus. How
can a man by the exercise alone of faith remove mountains? But such
people have failed to understand Jesus's method of teaching. Whenever
He could, Jesus emphasized His doctrine with concrete example. Because
Jesus did not teach abstractly, even little children may understand
Him. And the people whom He taught during His earthly life, were almost
like little children. He had to make everything very clear to them. So,
now, He wanted to impress them with the unlimited power of faith. He
used, therefore, the vigorous and startling figure of moving a mountain
into the sea: or as St. Luke has worded it, "If ye had faith as a grain
of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree (mulberry tree),
Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it
should obey you."
{107} [Sidenote: The interpretation.]
You will remember, however, that nowhere did Jesus ever teach His
disciples to pray for material things, except to supply their daily
needs. Neither did He ever teach them to ask for things impossible or
impracticable for God to give. It is to be understood, then, that Jesus
did not intend to encourage men to try to move mountains by the mere
exercise of faith. He intended a larger, a spiritual meaning. Faith
is so powerful a principle, that, through the exercise of it, one may
remove obstacles to sublime spiritual blessings, as difficult to be
moved as a mountain. By such a striking figure did Jesus impress upon
His disciples that nothing is impossible to faith.
[Sidenote: Jesus's own interpretation.]
That this was what Jesus wanted to impart, is apparent from His own
application of the concrete illustration. "What things soever ye
desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have
them." Or, as the statement is worded in a modern translation, "Believe
that you shall receive all things for which you pray and ask and you
shall have them." And this invincible power of faith in prayer is
supported by the words of Jesus to the Prophet, Joseph Smith. "All
victory and glory is brought to pass unto you through your diligence,
faithfulness, and prayers of faith."
[Sidenote: Examples of the power of faith.]
In the story of the ministry of Jesus, there are many examples of the
necessity of cultivating unlimited faith. Do you remember what happened
when Jesus walked to the boat one evening on the sea of Galilee? Most
of the disciples became afraid when they saw Him, and cried {108} out,
"It is a spirit." But when they became assured that it was really
Jesus, Peter said, "Lord, if it be Thou, bid me come unto Thee on the
water."