Prayer and Thanksgiving

Matthew 6:5-15; Ephesians 5:20

GOLDEN TEXT: “Pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks.”—I Thessalonians 5:17,18

TODAY’S lesson has largely to do with prayer and thanksgiving. Certain rules should govern our prayers. We should always approach God with humility and simplicity and reverence, and in the name of Jesus. While the sinner that is unjustified, does not have the same privilege of prayer and communion with the Heavenly Father as do the consecrated followers of the Master, yet he may approach God in order to ask for pardon and reconciliation along the divinely appointed lines. For example, the prayer of the publican, approved by our Lord, is a case in point. The publican however did not address Jehovah as Father, but as God, and pleaded, “God, be merciful to me a sinner.”

Those who come into relationship with God under the terms of the covenant of sacrifice with Christ have the privilege not only of recognizing God as the Creator and Ruler, but also as their “Heavenly Father,” and of thus addressing Him. Among such who approach God in prayer as His Children, different circumstances and conditions have a bearing in respect to the manner of worship. At times they may properly draw aside and hold communion with the Heavenly Father in secret—where no earthly eye will see and no earthly ear will hear. Our Lord’s own example is an illustration of this privilege.

Prayer at other times, however, may properly and profitably be offered in the presence of fellow believers and audibly, as the prayer of all and in which all are interested and should join. An illustration of this might be drawn from our Lord’s example, as for instance, His prayers recorded in John 11:41,42; 17; Matthew 11:25,26; Luke 10:21; 11:1. These prayers could not have been recorded if they had not been heard by the apostles, and the very object of their utterance in the apostles’ presence was for their benefit and blessing, as well as for the benefit and blessing of all the household of faith since then.

At times it may not be improper to give thanks to God in the presence of a mixed company—believers and unbelievers. An illustration of this course is found in our Lord’s own conduct. His prayer at His Baptism at Jordan was evidently witnessed by the multitude. He prayed again in the hearing of a mixed gathering at the grave of Lazarus. There are a number of such instances of our Lord praying in the presence of a mixed multitude, the last of which is that of His prayer on the cross which was audibly heard, even by His enemies.

The general subject matter of the Christian’s prayer is well summed up in the model prayer of our lesson, commonly known as our Lord’s Prayer. It opens up with the salutation, “Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name.” This addressing of God as our Father does not imply the universal fatherhood of God to all mankind. On the contrary we remember that our Great Teacher declared to some, “Ye are of your father, the devil.” The apostle declares furthermore that even Christians were at one time “Children of wrath,” even as others still are.

This portion of the petition is an address of reverence, an acknowledgment of God’s greatness, and implies our humility and littleness. It implies that the worshiper reverences God, not undertaking to address Him in a light or irreverent manner; even His very name is revered as holy by the true worshiper.

“Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.” This petition is not in the nature of a demand, nor even an expression of impatience. It is rather an acknowledgment on the part of the worshiper that he has faith in the divine promise that a heavenly Kingdom shall be, in God’s time, established in the earth. There is no attempt here to tell the Lord what must be done and how and when His Kingdom must be established. It does reveal an interest in the Heavenly Father’s plan and a desire on the part of the Christian that the divine will be done even now in his own heart.

“Give us this day our daily bread.” This is not an appeal to God for superabundance and “much goods laid up for many days”; nor is it a request for luxuries, but is merely asking the Lord to give us those things which are needful to us. Whoever prays to the Lord after this manner, and from the heart, will surely be a very thankful and very contented person. We may properly think of this petition as being one for both temporal and spiritual food—the spiritual food being of far greater importance.

“And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” It would seem impossible for any one to offer a prayer of this kind and at the same time be under the control of the spirit of malice, anger, envy, hatred, and strife. All these are the works of the flesh and the devil and not one of them is prompted by true love, such as the Lord inculcates and His spirit inspires. The very essence of Christian principle is love, sympathy, forgiveness of the faults of others, even as we realize that we have faults ourselves and that God has graciously forgiven us these, for Christ’s sake.

Every Christian in approaching the throne of heavenly grace should diligently inquire of his own heart whether or not he has forgiven those who have trespassed against him, as he desires that God should freely forgive him. True, we should not be swift to forgive those who trespass against us, without their asking for such forgiveness, yet we should be slow to recognize offense, and then only when offense is most evidently intended. While we may not in such cases forgive in the absolute sense, yet we should be always in a forgiving attitude of mind, that is to say, we should harbor no vindictive or malicious feelings.

The Scriptures assure us that God does not lead His people into temptation, so the evident thought here is rather a petition to God not to abandon us in temptation. Hence our prayer should be that when the Lord permits us to be in places of severe testing, He will stay with us during the trial, that His grace shall be sufficient for us, and that He will not suffer us to be tempted above that which we are able to bear, but with the temptation provide also a way of escape—delivering us from the evil one, Satan.

“For Thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory for ever. Amen.” These words are not found in the oldest Greek MSS., namely the Sinaitic and the Vatican. They would, therefore, seem to have been human words added to the words of our Lord. So far as this earth is concerned, these words have not been true throughout the Gospel age. The dominion of the earth has not been the Lord’s, the power of earth has not been the Lord’s, and the glory of the earth has not been the Lord’s. On the contrary, Satan has been “the prince of this world,” and has worked in the hearts of the children of disobedience, and has blinded the minds of them that believe not the Gospel. The kingdoms and powers of this world have been Satan’s and God’s people are waiting for His Kingdom to come, as represented in verse 10, when He will overthrow them and establish the Kingdom of righteousness.

QUESTIONS:

Are there any Scriptural rules to govern the manner in which Christians may pray?

Is there any sense in which non-Christians may approach God in prayer?

What are some of the main points in our Lord’s model prayer?

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