August, 1939
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walks and talks with us. Now as pray er is His own gift to us, He is the One who can reveal His thought concerning it. The Gospels are replete with His instructions, and thus we can know His will clearly. In our passage today we discover some foundational truths necessary to real praying: Sincerity (Matt. 6:5). It is not to be prayer for appearance’ sake in order to make an impression on others. Secret, private prayer (v. 6). The prayer is to be in “the closet,” behind the “shut door,” that worldly distrac tions may be shut out, and that we may be shut in with God. Of course there should be times of prayer with other Christians, as we are taught elsewhere in the Word. But the contrast here is of public prayer offered hypocritically for outward show, as against private prayer that does not receive the praise of men. Simplicity (vs. 7, 8). “Use not vain repetitions.” Just “ask, . . . seek, . . . knock” (Matt. 7:7). In childlike faith we are to make our requests known unto God in. the manner in which a child comes to an earthly father, because our heavenly Father knows. Sample (vs. 9-13). This matchless sample or pattern of prayer, which every Christian knows and loves, re mains forever the masterpiece of peti tion including in its scope the whole gamut of prayer, ascription of praise to God, and prayer for His kingdom, our earthly needs, and our spiritual needs. Surrender of resentment is stressed in verses 14 and 15, and later our Lord illustrates this teaching in the parable of the unforgiving servant (Matt. 18:21- 35). But the greatest emphasis came at Calvary where we were freely for given and pardoned for all our sins. Therefore, we are enjoined to be “kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Eph, 4:32). The Christian forgives, not in order to earr salvation, but because he has already been forgiven. It is impossible for one to hold resentment and bitter ness in his heart and at the same time to have real communion with a tender, loving Father. “A little while with Jesus, Oh, how it soothes the soul, And gathers all the threads of life Into a perfect whole.” Helps for the Leader L I saiah 59:1 One day a little girl, about five years old, heard a ranting preacher praying most lustily till the roof rang with the strength of his supplication. Turning to her mother and beckoning the ma ternal ear down to a speaking-place, she whispered, “Mother, don’t you think
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like Him that men will “see your good works, and glorify your Father which / is in' heaven’’ and will take knowledge of you, that you have been with Jesus. i Helps for the Leader I. T he S ource of R ight L iving 1. If I could tell you all, you would see how God has done all and I nothing. I have Worke'd hard, very hard, that is all, and I have never refused God any thing.—Florence Nightingale. 2 . Any one who attempts in his own strength to live a noble life, will dis cover that he is a failure. We can not “be good,’’ but we can choose the good and we can choose to have the life of Christ in action in us, and therefore have God carry us all the way. We need a deliverer every hour of our lives. -^-Evelyn McFarlane McClusky. 3. The celebrated W. Jay, of Bath, used to say that Christ’s sheep were marked in the ear and the foot: They ‘‘hear my voice . . . and they follow me.”— The Sunday School Times. H. " L et Y our L ight S o S hine " In England in early times, lighted lanterns were hung in some of the church steeples at night, and others in front of dwelling houses. The watch man going his rounds called out, “Hang out your lights!” And this is the call of Christ, “Let your light so shine”; let the world know by your actions and words that you are My follower. An unlighted lantern hung out in those days of old was as effective in guiding a traveler along the road as is many a Onegin these days who has taken the name of Christian and yet "is unlighted; a follower of Christ who is not making his presence felt for good is a failure.— Selected. SEPTEMBER 17, 1939 WHAT JESUS SAID ABOUT PRAYING M atthew 6:5-15 Meditation on the lesson Prayer is the greatest privilege grant ed to the believer. The fact that the disciple may have access to his Teacher, that the believer may have communion with his Saviour, that the servant may have audience with his Master, that the Christian may fellowship with his Friend, this truth is indeed great enough to stir the depths of our emotions. This great feature of the Christian life is one of its distinguishing charac teristics. The Christian» is the only one who can commune with his Leader. All other forms of belief follow a dead leader. We have a. living Christ who
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IHKLUaimJgffcH SCHOOL Children Succèssiully Educated . . . AT HOME Calvert School’s world-famous home study plan gives superior education to thousands of children not near good schools or unable to attend schoól. Complete courses for each grade. All booKs, materials and teacher guidance included. En thusiastically endorsed by educators and parents. Low cost. Write today for free catalog. Statè child’s age. CALVERT SCHOOL 58 E. Tuscany Road Baltimore, Md. if he lived nearer to God he wouldn’t have to talk so loud?"—Best Modem Illustrations. n . P rayer T hat H eals We are all saturated with the pernici ous virus of sin; every one of us is a tubercular patient doomed to die! But “the Sun of righteousness” with heal ing in its wings has arisen. All that is required of us, if we desire to be healed both for time and for eternity, is to let the Son of righteousness reach us, and then to abide in the sunlight of His righteousness. To pray is nothing more involved than to lie in the sun shine of His grace, to expose our dis tress of body and soul to those healing rays which can in a wondefful way counteract and render ineffective the bacteria of sin. To be a man or woman of prayer is to take this sun-cure, to give Jesus, with His wonder-working power, access to our distress night and day.—O. Hailesby. . in. How to P ray Fray in faith (Mk. 11:22-24). Pray sincerely and humbly (Lk. 18: 9-14). Pray believing (Matt. 21:22). Pray importunately (Lk. 18:1-8). Pray for persecutors and enemies (Matt. 5:43-45). Pray in Jesus’ name (John 14:13, 14). Daily Readings in A Year of'Meet ings, by International Society of Chris tian Endeavor.
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