Luke 11:2 And he said to them, When you pray, say, Our Father which are in heaven, Hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done… 1. Not a prescription of words. A great merit in prayer is that it most naturally expresses the feeling of him who offers it. A child's prattle is more acceptable to a parent than stately utterances put into his mouth. In Raphael's cartoon the adoring disciples surround the risen Lord in various attitudes, one kneeling, one with clasped hands, one with open palms, one with bowed head, and one shows excited reverence by the fact that he is allowing his robe to trail in the dirt; the great artist having seen that the highest expression of religious emotion must be the natural outcome of the soul, and bear the mark of the worshipper's individuality. Horace Bushnell used to go to sleep, as he said, talking with God. Liturgies are useful to stimulate spirituality; but should be used to suggest, never to limit, religious thought. 2. The manner of the prayer is in general — (1) Of utmost simplicity. No elaboration. (2) Calmness. No oh's! only quiet confidence and consecration. 3. Analyzing more particularly the sentiments of the prayer, we observe that the model prayer gives a portraiture of a model man. (1) Filial faith. "Our Father." (2) Reverence. "Hallowed," &c. (3) Loyalty. "Thy kingdom come." (4) A conformed spirit. "Thy will be done." (5) Recognition of Providence. "Give us... daily bread." (6) Dependence upon grace. "Forgive us our debts." (7) Sincere charity. "For we forgive." (8) Dependence upon the Holy Spirit. "Lead us not," etc. (J. M. Ludlow, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. |
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