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STUDIES
IN THE SCHOOL OF PRAYER
"A Pearl Among Prayers" Dr. Herbert Lockyer |
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Without
a doubt the so-called Lord's Prayer is the favorite prayer of the Church.
It is ever on the lips of multitudes, being used in public and private
devotions. It is indeed a Pearl among Prayers. Although it is ever on
our lips, one wonders if there is a full realization of all that is embraced
within this most marvelous prayer. |
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A
MODEL PRAYER
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| The prayer before us is so framed that it can act as a guide to all true prayer. It affords a perfect pattern in the act of approach to God. Dr. C. I. Scofield speaks of it as "an incomparable model for all prayers." Instructing His disciples to pray, Jesus said, "After this manner pray ye," and noting the manner of this prayer, we observe three general lines. There is INVOCATION, in which God receives His dues first. Effective prayer begins with worship and adoration. Then we have PETITION, covering our own needs and those of others. Last of all there is DOXOLOGY, in which God is again praised and magnified. |
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A
BIBLICAL PRAYER
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| The most telling prayers are those saturated with the Bible. How slow we are to learn that our prayer-life can only be enriched as we learn to turn into prayer all that we gather from God's word. One thing making the Lord's prayer impressive is the fact that all its clauses can be traced in the Old Testament. |
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THE
LORD'S PRAYER
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| While this prayer is popularly known as the Lord's Prayer, the Lord Himself did not pray it. It has been named after the Giver. But it is one that he could not use as the Sinless One. Hence the significant phraseology "When ye (not we) pray…" The true Lord's prayer, that is the one He actually prayed is in John 17, where we have Christ at prayer. |
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THE
PRAYER PERFECT
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| Several writers have discoursed upon this title. And what a Perfect Prayer it is! Coming from the Perfect One, it expresses perfection in approach, brevity, comprehensiveness and importunity. |
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THE
COMMANDMENTS PRAYER
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| Another unique feature of this much used Prayer is the fact that it appears to be the Ten Commandments turned into prayer. There is a striking correspondence between each clause of this Prayer and the Commandments in order in which they occur (Ex. 20).To pray this Prayer with all sincerity enables us to obey all divine commandments. |
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A
FOUNTAIN PRAYER
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| In Rabbinical usage, there were "full prayers and fountain prayers." A "fountain" prayer was a brief summary of petitions, and was used if one did not have time for "full" or free prayer. The Prayer we are considering is looked upon as a "fountain" prayer. It is a multu pravo prayer, and is in striking contrast to the vain petitions of the heathen. |
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THE
DISCIPLES PRAYER
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| Dr. Marcus Dods wrote of it as "the prayer that 'teaches us to pray'." The "ye" is most emphatic. "When ye pray," It came as a new revelation to the disciples that they were to come as children to a Father. "When ye pray say, "Our Father." God is more than a creator and Decree-maker. He is a heavenly Father interested in the spiritual and material welfare of His children. |
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A
FILIAL PRAYER
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| Within the Prayer, there is a progressive unfolding of the character of God as One who sees, knows, loves and cares. There we are taught that prayer is a child's petition to an all-wise, all-loving, all-powerful Father-God. |
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A
DAILY PRAYER
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| The clause, "Give us this day our daily bread" is one that our Lord meant His disciples to use the framework of this prayer each day, and all our days. As day follows day, all needs that may arise are covered by this Prayer. |
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A
SOCIAL PRAYER
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| The Jewish Temple was destitute of social worship. The High Priest alone could enter the Holy Place. Outside the people stood. But here is a Prayer that links all saints together. The redeemed are treated as a family. Hence the pronouns us, our, and we. |
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A
MISSIONARY PRAYER
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| There
are those who affirm that we cannot use this Prayer during this dispensation.
It is a Kingdom prayer, and therefore for a coming age. But as it is a Prayer
embracing the whole earth upon which God desires His will to be done, surely
we can use it. No matter what dispensational significance it may have, we
have the life-rent of this Disciples' Prayer. Reviewing our Lord's Prayer, we find it to be made up of a seven-fold voice. As there are seven notes in music, seven colors in the rainbow, so here we have seven voices making it a perfect prayer. The SON'S VOICE-"Our Father, which art in heaven." The SAINT'S VOICE-"Hallowed be thy name." The SUBJECT'S VOICE-"Thy Kingdom Come" The SERVANT'S VOICE-"Thy will be done" The SUPPLIANT'S VOICE-"Give us this day" The SINNER'S VOICE-"Forgive us our trespasses" The SOJOURNER'S VOICE-"Lead Us" Keeping to the three-fold division of INVOCATION, PETITION and DOXOLOGY, let us try to discover the truth, beauty and fullness of this great Prayer as Matthew records it. |
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(I)
INVOCATION |
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opening phrase, "Our Father which art in Heaven," reminds us of
the necessity of reverence as we approach the mercy-seat where Jesus answers
prayer. A filial relationship is also suggested by the term, "Our Father."
God, of course, is the Father of all by creation and providence. He is only our Father in the sense in which the Master taught us to pray by grace. Having received the Spirit of adoption, we cry Abba Father. Blessing therefore is invoked because of a filial relationship grace produces. Further, such a filial consciousness is based upon Saviorhood. We have heard a great deal about the Fatherhood of God and the universal Brotherhood of Man in modernistic and pacifist circles, but nothing is said about the bridge of Christian Sonship between God and Man. Apart from the mediation of Christ, we can have no access to the Father, and no realization of perfect brotherhood. |
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(II)
PETITION |
| In this Prayer Perfect, indicating as it does a great change in the whole conception of Worship, we can trace a six-fold petition. We tabulate the six petitions thus: Three GODWARD: Heavenly, Person of God, Man to God. Three: MANWARD: Earthly, People of God, God to Man. |
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MAN
TO GOD
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man's approach to God, three steps are to be noted: Sublimity, Sovereignty,
Submission. "Hallowed by thy name." Here we have the Voice
of the Saint! With awe he draws nigh unto God. He is overwhelmed as
he realizes that such a sublime privilege is his. The name of God, alas,
is often openly profaned and must, therefore, be counted holy by those who
turn to God in prayer. And adding to the sublimity of prayer is the act that the fulfillment of the petitions in this Lord's Prayer is possible because of all that God is in Himself. "Name," as we know. Stand for the nature or character of God. Therefore we are to regard with holy fear and love, the name and relation of God. And it is this connection that the order of the petitions in the central part of this Prayer is somewhat remarkable. Here we have the recognition of God's right as Maker, Sovereign, and Protector. "Thy kingdom come." Here we have the Voice of the Subject! ... But while we can treat the Prayer before us as a Missionary Prayer, we cannot have the Kingdom without the King. Not until Christ returns to earth and ushers in His millennial reign of righteousness, peace and joy will the petition "Thy Kingdom come" be fully answered. Our present obligation is to see to it that Christ's rule is more fully established in and over our personal lives. Can we truly say that He is Sovereign, as well as Saviour? Does He reign supreme over the empire of our life? The ideal, God-glorifying life is the one in which of Christ's government there is no end. Are we loving, loyal subjects of the King Eternal? May grace be ours to live as glad vassals of a Saviour's throne. "Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven." Here we have the Voice of the Servant. The late Dr. S. D. Gordon once wrote in an autograph album of mine, "The greatest passion that can burn in the human heart is to know the will of God and get it done." Our Master was borne along by such a passion. Are we? How slow we are to learn that it is only when the will of God and our will are in complete harmony that all things can work together for good… The tragedy of life, however, is the thwarting of God's will, which is the highest and ultimate good of all His creatures. War, lust, sin, and satanic opposition are ever against the accomplishment of the sweet will of God. Christ, in this Prayer, teaching His disciples to pray, reveals the perfect joy in Heaven. There God doeth according to His will. Disobedience is unknown in Heaven. Having lived there for the past Eternity, Jesus had before Him, as He tarried on a hostile earth, the complete harmony existing among the heavenly hosts. Thus He urged His disciples to pray that earth might become a reflection of Heaven. And that Christ's teaching regarding the will of God carries weight is evident from His example. He came from Heaven to earth to do the will of Him who had sent Him. |
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GOD
TO MAN
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| In
God's approach to man there are three blessings to be considered and realized:
namely, Provision, Pardon, and Protection. Our human needs are recognized
and met. Placing God's interests first, our interests become God's concern.
The essence of sin is the inversion of the divine order. Man's needs take precedence over God's rights. The Creature is first, the Creator last. But here Christ teaches us that the satisfaction of our spiritual and material necessities is dependent upon our full realization of the worship and will of God. "Give us this day our daily bread." Here we have the Voice of the Suppliant! In order to serve God, it is necessary to live, thus earthly food is placed first, seeing it maintains our earthly life. Daily bread can be made to cover all our material needs. Some gifts, of course, are granted once for all. Here, however, we have the daily support of the trustful child. If we hallow God's name, submit to His will, and His reign, then we can ask with confidence for these blessings our natural life requires. Another translation of this petition has it, "Give us today our bread for tomorrow, that day now coming on." It must be remembered that this Prayer was taught by our Lord, who was a Jew, to His disciples, who were Jews, and that, according to Jewish reckoning, a day began at sunset. Thus, this petition for material supplies was not only appropriate in the morning, until nightfall, but could be used at evening as embracing all the time until the next evening. "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." Here we have the Voice of the Sinner! And, because we are deep in God's debt, each of us has need of divine forgiveness. Debt is related to duty, and suggests failure in duty. It is thus that we pray to be delivered from all carelessness and indifference responsible for spiritual failures. Considering this clause of the Lord's Prayer we must not lose sight of the fact that under the law, forgiveness was conditioned upon a like spirit. Divine forgiveness was dependent upon the exhibition of human forgiveness (Matt. 6:14). But under grace, we are forgiven on the basis of Christ's work (Eph. 4:12). Dr. C. I. Scofield's comment on this fundamental difference is worthy of notice. "This is legal ground. Eph. 4:32 is under grace. Under the law, forgiveness is conditioned upon a like spirit in us; under grace we are forgiven for Christ's sake, and exhorted to forgive because we have been forgiven." Forgiven, are as forgiving as we should be? Is there someone you should find right now and for Christ's sake forgive, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you? "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." Here is the Voice of the Sojourner! As strangers and pilgrims sojourning in a world of sin we must expect to meet temptation constantly. God, of course, does permit temptation. Jesus was tempted. It is by temptation that we are tried and enriched...Temptation is not sin. Sin only comes when temptation is yielded to… |
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(III)
THE DOXOLOGY |
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While Matthew's doxology to the Lord's prayer is not given in Luke…it
affords a most appropriate ending to the Prayer. The term "forever"
qualifies every phrase of the Prayer. The unchanging character of God offers
good grounds of encouragement to pray. "Thine is the Kingdom." The kingdom is prayed for, "Thy kingdom come," is reckoned as the Lord's. Note the present tense, is. Yes, in spite of all proud dictatorship[s] His kingdom ruleth over all. The kingdom is the Lord's in virtue of Creation and redemption. "Thine is the power." God is able to establish His kingdom and accomplish His will. None can stay His hand or say, "What doest Thou?" Unlimited power is His to carry out all His plans." "Thine is the glory." Prayer can only be answered as we seek His glory. Present and ultimate glory must be God's. His glory cannot be given to another." Ed. Note: Dr. Herbert Lockyer was a noted British Bible teacher during the first half of the 20th century and an instructor at the Moody Bible Institute. He was the author of the famous "ALL" series of books dealing with Biblical themes. Copied: Revelation magazine, June 1943, pp. 284, 310-312. |
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| August-September 2005 The Fundamentalist Digest; Permission granted for reprint, so long as proper credit is given. The above item is a sample of the numerous timely articles that are contained in the bi-monthly issues of The Fundamentalist Digest. |
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