408
T h e
K i n g ’ s B u s i n e s s
September 1932
COMMENTARY Children’s Diwsion In Holy Places By H elen G ailey By H erbert H. T ay
LESSON Golden Text Illustrations B y A lan S. P earce
Outline and Exposition B y B. B. S utcliffe
Blackboard Outlines Bv B essie B. B urch
OCTOBER 2, 1932 THE CHRISTIAN’S DEVOTIONAL LIFE P sa . 1 :l-6 ; 119:9-16; D an . 6:10; M att . 6:5-15; 2 T im . 3:14-17
If this order is followed in reality, then every prayer will have its answer. It begins with three petitions concerning the Lord’s glory. Before anything else is sought, we must desire that the Lord’s name be honored, His kingdom rule, and His will be done, on earth as these things are done in heaven. Until we desire these things above all else, we cannot be confident that answers to our prayers will be received. But when we do desire these things first o f all, then we may expect an swers to all our prayers. The heart o f this section is found in verse 10, “ Thy will be done.” Everything that touches oun well being is encompassed in this petition. There is one petition touching our phys ical needs. Day-by-day supply is all we may ask. God may give more, but we may confidently ask for the supply of only one day’s needs. It is certain that tomorrow will bring tomorrow’s supply, hence it re quires only one petition to cover our phys ical needs. Finally, there are three petitions touch ing our spiritual needs, the need for for giveness, for protection in temptation, and for deliverance from the evil one. Thus in the brief compass o f this model prayer our needs of every sort are covered. When the order o f this model prayer is observed, prayer will reach through all obstacles and will draw down from the Fa ther whatsoever the Christian requires. II. B ible S t u d y (2 T im . 3:14-17). W e shall never pray aright until we study the Bible, and we shall never study the Bible aright until we pray. These two go hand in hand, and one without the other is dangerous. T o pray and neglect the Bible leads to fanaticism, and to study the Bible and neglect prayer leads to anti- nomianism. “ Continue thou” in the study o f the Scriptures. Continuance is the secret of finding ever-fresh glories and new beauties in the Bible, as well as coming to ever- increasing knowledge o f the truth which sets the believer free. The subject o f the Bible is the person and work o f Jesus Christ, and as He is the exhaustless Per son, so the Bible is the exhaustless B ook ; we shall never come to the end o f its reve lation. To know our Lord requires that we “continue” in the Scriptures. The Scriptures are able to “make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” This means that the Christian is to turn to the Scriptures day by day in order to produce continual growth in the grace and knowledge o f the One o f whom those Scriptures speak. The power of the Scriptures is sug gested in the words, “ All Scripture is given by inspiration o f God.” The Bible not only contains the W ord o f God, but it is the W ord o f God. From Genesis 1 :1 to Revelation 22:21 is Scripture, and all Scripture is inspired by God. This con viction is needed in order to give the Bible the place and authority and weight which
I. P r a y e r (Matt. 6:5-15).
Lesson Text: Matt. 6:5-15; 2 Tim. 3: 14-17. Golden Text: “Grow in grace and in the knowledge o f our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18). Public Prayer I n t h e countries of the Near East, pub lic prayer is much more common than it is here. In fact, we seldom see an individual praying on the street in this country unless he is with a group which is conducting an evangelistic service. In
Prayer is much more than a refuge in trouble. It is a greatly needed and a great ly neglected exercise o f soul. The Lord taught its importance not only by word of mouth, but also by His constant example. So constant was He in prayer that, as an other has said, His progress through life may be traced by the print of His knees. “When thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites.” This word describes the ancient actors who, by the use o f pads, masks, tubes, and so forth, appeared to be what they were not. They were without reality, and their praying would be mere acting. They sought the public places in which to pray, because they were not pray ing to the Lord, but to be seen of men. “ Be not ye therefore like unto them,” says the Lord. Let there be reality when you pray. Tear away the pads, lay aside the masks, speak to the Lord naturally, let your petitions be made in sincerity and truth. Pay particular attention to verse 6. There is to be a definite time for prayer, a definite place for prayer, a definite man ner in which to pray, and a definite Person to whom the prayers are to be offered. The time is “when thou prayest” ; the place, “thy closet” ; the manner, “shtit thy door” ; and the Person, “thy Father,” not a stranger but a Father, inviting freedom in approaching Him and liberty in presenting the petitions before Him. Use no vain repetitions such as the hea then employ. Some of the heathen write their prayers on bits o f paper and fasten them to water wheels. Then they go about their business thinking that every time the wheel turns over, the prayers are offered, and they will be heard for their much speaking. Instead o f such vain repetitions, there should be the spirit o f submission, leaving everything to the wisdom o f the Father to whom the petition is offered. Verses 9 to 15 contain a model prayer. The form is not vital; the Lord gave sev eral forms, but the order is all-important. BLACKBOARD LESSON GROW/N GRACE-THRU P R AVER Mi I otW H H ÜÜ B 5 . ; . 1 çO*” L |) ^ O ^ q O N i
Mohammedan land s, it is quite common to see a man praying all by himself in almost any p u b l i c p l a c e . Some of those who pray are quite devout, others evidently pray publicly just for pub licity. W e once stopped to
observe one o f the latter in Jerusalem. It was at the corner of the Via Dolorosa and the Bazaar street, which leads to the Da mascus gate, one of the busiest corners in the city. Not content with kneeling in the street, he performed his ritual upon a raised platform which served as the coun ter o f the corner shop. Thus he was upon a stage which brought him even more be fore the public gaze. Most Mohamme dans have prayer rugs upon which they kneel to say their prayers. This devout showman had constructed a board, much like the surf boards seen at the beach, which he used. By wedging this beneath some boards of the counter, he was able to make the end stick out over the street, so that when he knelt, he was almost in the faces o f the passers-by. It would have re quired an ingenious person to devise any more schemes for attracting attention. When all was in readiness, he sat down upon this board and washed his hands and feet, his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth with water. Then he stood erect, with arms held rigidly to his sides, facing the holy city of Mecca. Next he knelt, bowing for ward until his forehead touched the board. This continued for about ten minutes. Then he removed his equipment, and his public prayer was finished. Outline and Exposition The International Lesson Committee has wisely chosen the two great essentials for the Christian’s devotional life: prayer and Bible study. Whatever else may be present,' without these two, the Christian life will remain barren and unsatisfactory, joyless and powerless.
FERVENTHUMRLE PRAYER 3R/NGS E FATHOMLESSHALLOWEDPOWER 10-2.-3Z.
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