T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
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QUESTIONS. (1) W hat Bible description suits th is judge? (Rom. 3:14-18.) (2 ) W hat is th e standard of a ju st judge? (Psa. 98:9.) (3 ) W hat is God’s condemnation of th e u n ju st judge? (Job 22:9, 10.) (4) Will the Lord avenge His own? (1 Thess. 5:1-3.) , (5) Is th ere any righteousness in man? (Rom. 3 :10 ; Phil. 3t4, 6.) (6) If you have any gifts, Who should have the praise? (1 Cor. 4:7, 8.) (7) Are some prayers repugnant to God? (Luke 20:47.) (8) W hat is the basis of God’s mercy? (Heb. 4:16.) (9) W hat is the basis of our justi- fication? (Rom. 5:1.) Outline (1) The Sinner Seeking to See Je sus, vs. 1-4. ( 2 )' The Savior Seeking to Save the Sinner, v. 5. ; (-3) The Self-Invited S tranger, vs. 6, 7. (4) The Seeking Sinner Saved, vs. 8-10. P rayer has been well said to he either a prodigious force or a pitiful farce. If it is a ' farce, you may pray much and get little. If it is a force, you may pray little and get much. DEVOTIONAL A prayerful life is a COMMENT powerful life. The By F . W. F a rr. more we pray, the more we . w ant to pray. Daniel prayed th ree times a day and David prayed seven times a day. Paul exhorts believers to pray w ithout ceasing. The Bible is our book of com mon and uncommon prayer. Every ques tion th a t can be asked concerning the principles and practice of prayer is an swered in the Bible. When shall I pray? 1 Thess. 5:17. How shall I pray? Phil. 4:6. W hat shall I pray for? Phil. 4:6. Whom shall I pray for? 1 Tim. 2:1.
Where shall I.pray? 1 Tim. 2:8. W hat are the conditions of acceptable prayer? F aith , Heb. 11:6. Forgiveness, Mark 11:25; Abiding in Christ, John 15:7. Using the name of Christ, John 16:23- 26. Taught by the Spirit, Rom. 8:26. Definiteness, Mark 10:51. Earnestness, Jas. 5:16. P ray er is a dialogue; man speaks to God and God answers and speaks to man. The Pharisee prayed w ith himself. His prayer was more of a soliloquy. There was no sense of need. The first personal pronoun figured largely. It was an expression of self- complacency and congratulation. There was no adoration, confession, petition or intercession. It was a caricature and counterfeit of prayer. The publican on th e other hand pu t himself on praying ground when he took the place of a guilty, helpless sinner and invoked Di vine propitiation. “God be propitiated to me the sinner.” It is the word for “mercy seat,” and introduces the sup pliant into th e sphere of Divine favor by virtue of accepted sacrifice. That prayer is only recognized as prayer and answered when offered in the name of Christ. The ohe who prays m ust know the meaning of the name and have the experience of its saving power. P rayer is therefore an act and an attitud e (Springing from th e life in Christ. P ray er is work and w arfare. It is one of the two weapons of offense in the Christian panoply. Eph. 6:18. I t is the weapon which is m ighty through God in pulling down th e stronghold of Satan. The point of the parable of the Unjust Judge is not only th a t men should always pray but th a t they should focus prayer upon some special need till victory is won. Moffat’s tran slation of Luke 18:6-7 is as follows: “Listen, said th e Lord, to what this u n ju st judge says! And will not God see justioe done to his elect who cry to him by day and by night? Will he be to leran t to th eir opponents? I tell you he will quickly see justice done to his elect.”
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