WHY WE SHOULD PRAY. We should pray, 1. Because we constantly need God's mercy in temporal and spiritual things. 2. Because we owe God our thanks for his many benefits. [Ps. 103, Jas. 1:17] 3. Because God has commanded us to pray. [Matt. 6:9, Matt. 26:41] 4. Because God has promised to hear us. [Matt. 7:7, 8+, Ps. 50:15]
WHEN WE SHOULD PRAY. 1. Always; [Luke 21:36+] that is, our soul should live in constant communion with God, and always be open toward Him. 2. Whenever we feel special need of prayer: in danger, [Matt. 8:25] distress, anxiety, [Matt. 8:25] sickness, [Jas. 5:14, 15] bereavement, sorrow, [Ps. 25:16, 17] temptation, [Matt. 26:41] or when we are burdened with the sense of our guilt. [Luke 18:13.] 3. At fixed times: [Dan. 6:10] every morning and evening, at meal-times; in family worship; [Josh. 24:15+] in church. [Matt. 18:20+]
FOR WHOM WE SHOULD PRAY. 1. For ourselves. 2. For our fellow-Christians. [Eph. 6:18+] 3. For all men: [I Tim. 2:1+] for friends and foes, [Matt. 5:44+] the poor and the rich, the afflicted and the tempted. 4. For the Church. 5. For the State.
OUR PRAYERS SHOULD CONTAIN: 1. Adoration, 2. Thanksgiving. 3. Confession, 4. Petition. 5. Intercession.
THE MANNER. Our prayers should be the sincere utterance of our hearts; otherwise they will be a mere mockery. [Matt. 6:5] They may be in our own words or those of another. It will often be profitable to use the prayers found in good prayer-books or in the Liturgy, and to draw largely from the Psalms, which are a treasury of good and beautiful prayers. We should not lengthen our prayers by vain repetitions, nor repeat the Lord's Prayer or any other prayer a certain number of times as if that were a merit. [Matt. 6:7] Nor should we shorten our prayers through laziness, indifference, and the like. The Lord's Prayer should generally be added to our own prayers as a summary of those things for which we should pray.
THE POSTURE which we assume should indicate reverence to God. We should kneel or stand with folded hands. If we are unable to assume either of these postures, we may pray in any position. We stand in church on Sunday, because it is the day of the Lord's resurrection and a day of joy. We should not sit still in church while others stand, unless we are too weak or ill to stand. Kneeling is an attitude of humiliation, particularly appropriate for the confession of sins.
IN CHRIST'S NAME. We should always pray in Christ's name, and never omit His name to please men or avoid offence; for our prayers are only heard for Christ's sake. We have the promise that whatever we ask in His name will be given to us. [John 16:23] To pray in Christ's name means to pray, 1. As one who trusts in Christ and asks to be heard for His sake. [Eph. 2:18+, Rom. 5:2] 2. As one who prays in Christ's spirit, submitting all things to God's will, and saying with Christ, "Not my will, but Thine, be done." [Matt. 26:29, Matt 6:10]
IN FAITH. We should pray in faith, believing that God will answer our prayer for Jesus' sake. [Jas. 5:16+] If we do not pray in faith, we shall not be heard. [Jas. 1:6, 7]
THE ANSWER TO PRAYER. God always answers the prayer of the believer. Those who ask and receive not, have either asked amiss, [Jas. 4:3] or have not asked in faith. If we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us. [John 5:14+] He answers our prayer, 1. By granting us what we ask, though perhaps after a long delay, by which He tries our faith and patience. 2. He grants us good things instead of the hurtful things for which we ignorantly ask. 3. He gives us strength to bear the burden which we pray to have removed, [II Cor. 12:9] and thus confers a greater blessing than the removal of the burden would be.
QUESTIONS.—1. What is prayer? 2. To whom alone should we pray? 3. Why should we pray? 4. When should we pray? 5. For whom should we pray? 6. What should our prayers contain? 7. What is to be said about the manner of our praying? 8. What is to be said about the posture in prayer? 9. Why must we pray in Christ's name? 10. What is meant by praying in Christ's name? 11. What is to be said about the importance of praying in faith? 12. Does God always answer prayer? 13. In what ways does He answer?