094. Chapter 35 - Discourse on Prayer

Chapter 35 - Discourse on Prayer

Luke 11:1-13 The Request

“Lord, teach us to pray, even as John also taught his disciples” (Luke 11:1). Both the example of Jesus and the Instruction of John prompted this request. Luke relates, “As he was praying in a certain place...when he ceased, one of his disciples” made this request. One wonders whether their appeal for instruction was inspired by Jesus’ lengthy communion with the Father, which they were unable to achieve. If so, the brevity of the model prayer becomes all the more impressive. Quality ranks above quantity in prayer.

John’s Prayer Life As we reflect upon the profound impression which John’s prayer life and his instruction on prayer had made upon his disciples, we face again the fragmentary nature of our Gospel accounts. Not one prayer of John’s is recorded. Not one word concerning his prayer life or the instruction he gave on this central spiritual experience is known to us. That he was powerful and persistent in prayer needs no further proof than his bold, magnificent life and death. He had come “in the spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17). The power of Elijah was the distilled essence of prayer, “he prayed fervently” (James 5:17). Similarities in the careers of these two prophets are impressive: their appearance, their dynamic personalities, the sensational challenge which they gave to the nation in a critical time, their bold denunciation of wicked kings, the revengeful persecution they endured from wicked queens. Luke now adds another parallel — their prayer life. The Model Prayer

It is not surprising that Jesus should repeat the model prayer He had taught a different assembly of disciples in Galilee some two years before. This sort of teaching needed to be repeated so other disciples might learn the basic truths embodied in the condensed prayer. We are not specifically told that the seventy were present and that one of them made the request, but obviously a large congregation received this teaching. A comparison of the two versions of the prayer as given on the different occasions is informing.

Adoration In the Old Testament the usual concept is that God is the Father of the nation Israel, but the idea that God is the Father of the individual believer is sometimes also given. “Like as a father pitieth his children, so Jehovah pitieth them that fear him” (Psalms 103:13). Jesus puts a new content into the word father and gives the full revelation Of God’s character. How much God loves us as our Father is fully revealed in Christ.

There are three elements essential in a prayer: adoration or praise, thanksgiving, and petition. The adoration in this model prayer is exceedingly brief. It consists of the address in terms of intimate fellowship and deep reverence. In Luke’s account this is reduced to the absolute minimum, “Father.” The plural our indicates that this is a model for a public prayer, and the plural pronouns throughout indicate that a plurality of Christians are sharing the fellowship of prayer. But there is here a model also for private, individual reactions and needs.

It has been suggested that this is a prayer for the morning as petition is made for the necessary food to sustain life during this day. Too often we fail to begin the day with prayer and wait until the day is over and we are exhausted from our labors before we talk with God. But this prayer is appropriate at high noon or at eventide as well as in the morning. If it is at the close of a day of labor for God that we offer this prayer, then we are looking forward to the coming day as we pray for the necessities of life.

Thanksgiving

There is no specific statement of thanksgiving in this prayer. But every petition carries a deep undercurrent of thanksgiving for the blessings which make the abundant life possible. In other prayers of Jesus thanksgiving abounds (Matthew 11:25, Matthew 11:26; Matthew 14:19; Matthew 15:36; John 11:41, John 11:42; Matthew 26:26, Matthew 26:27; John 17:1-26; Luke 24:30). The model prayer carries a sense of urgency as it is almost completely devoted to petitions. These are concentrated first upon the grand objectives of God. Only after we have offered fervent prayer for the victorious sweep of His kingdom and have dedicated ourselves to this divine objective are we in a position to ask for the daily bread which will enable us to continue the battle for Him.

Someone has pointed out the extraordinary collection of relationships which emerge in this prayer:

In every one of these there is the most vital and intimate relationship between God and the worshiper.

First Petition The first petition presents adoration and praise in the fitting manner of an implied confession of our lack of humility and our need for more reverence. The address to God as Father is so intimate there is need for the utmost realization and acknowledgment of God’s power, wisdom, glory, and love. Wrongdoers are constantly tempted to defend themselves by pointing to someone else who has done something worse. When we offer this petition, “Hallowed be thy name,” it is easy to think of the wicked world and the filthy, contemptuous, blasphemous use of the name of God in cursing and swearing. It is most proper for us to pray thus for those very far away from God. But there is great need that we think of our own irreverence, especially if we are offering this prayer in a mechanical manner, repeating words with no thought of our own. Congregations which repeat this prayer each Sunday morning as part of their regular order of service need to have an alarm sounded frequently from the pulpit lest they fail to hallow God’s name or give intense concentration of thought to the divine meaning of the words they utter. The Kingdom

J. W. McGarvey thought that the petition thy kingdom come is obsolete now and should not be offered in our present day. The kingdom was established on the day of Pentecost following the ascension of Jesus. It was of great importance that the disciples should be praying for the coming of the kingdom when Jesus gave this prayer to them. But why should we now pray for the kingdom to come when it has already come? The argument, however, hinges on the meaning given to the verb come. Before Pentecost come’ looked forward to the initial establishment of the kingdom. As we offer the prayer today, it should look forward to the coming of the kingdom in its triumphant sweep over the world and in the final consummation at the second coming. This petition declares the unreserved dedication of the worshiper to the world-wide campaign which Jesus gave in the great commission. The Will of God

“Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth.” This appeal defines and enforces the preceding request. What we mean by our prayer that the kingdom may come is thus defined as the universal dedication of all men to the doing of the will of God. Perfection is not possible for us in this world, but nothing short of perfection should be accepted as our goal. The perfect obedience in heaven is the ideal which is set before the wicked world in its rebellion against God. Again the great commission comes into view in this prayer, and there is the strongest emphasis upon the solemn responsibility for the Christian to be the light of the world and the salt which will preserve it from utter corruption. Each of these petitions should awaken our hearts to confess how far short we have fallen and to pray earnestly for assistance in making the most personal application All these requests are at once personal and universal.

Daily Bread

“Give us this day our daily bread.” The very fact that prayer is based on a day-by-day appeal underscores thanksgiving for what has been given and request for further provision. Here is the answer to the question as to whether it is right for a Christian to pray for money. It depends on whether he is a Christian and the purpose to which the money is to he dedicated. Jesus did not instruct us to pray for the luxuries which the world seeks, but for food which will enable us to live for God. As the first three petitions sought universal reverence for God, universal sway of the kingdom of God, and universal obedience to His will, so the next three petitions are intensely personal for our physical needs, the forgiveness of our sins, and spiritual welfare for the future. Our Debts

“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matthew 6:12). Luke has, “...sins; for we ourselves also forgive every one that is indebted to us” (Luke 11:1). The concept of debts enters into Luke’s report in the verb indebted. A common mistranslation is “Forgive us our trespasses.” The two Greek words are quite different. Jesus uses trespasses in the injunction which follows the prayer (Matthew 6:14, Matthew 6:15). From this location the word is inserted in the prayer itself by those who use this version of the prayer. Trespass emphasizes sins of commission. God says, “Thou shalt not,” but we disobey. Debt is a wider term and includes both sins of commission and omission. The Greek verb parabaino means to go in a forbidden direction; we stray from the divine path, or we deliberately choose to disobey God and go in the way of the world. These are the sins of commission. The verb hamartano means to miss the mark; we aim at an extremely difficult target and fail to reach it. This emphasizes sins of omission, but both types of sin are included in this prayer. Both of these words for sin are used constantly in the New Testament, and the distinction between them is most interesting. The usage of the Roman Catholic church is to have trespasses in the prayer. The prayer books of the Episcopal and Methodist churches have trespasses. In as we also have forgiven, the verb of Matthew’s account is perfect tense, which means completed action. We have wiped the slate clean of all hatred and unforgiving spirit toward others before we ask God to forgive us. Luke has, “For we ourselves also forgive every one” ; the verb here is present tense, expressing continued action. This is the course of conduct to which we are constantly committed.

Temptation

“And bring us not into temptation.” God permits the devil to tempt us. But he has promised that no temptation will come upon us that we cannot resist. He always provides a way of escape if we will but watch for this exit. We pray that God may help us to curb our selfish desires and our worldly folly and lead us in paths where we may be victorious. We should remember the petition, “Give us this day,” as we pray, “Bring us not into temptation.” Too much prosperity, too much luxury is most often the way of defeat. But how many of us ever pray for God to see to it that we never have more worldly possessions than we can control?

Deliverance

“But deliver us from the evil one.” Luke’s account does not have this petition. The a.v. translates “from evil”; the a.s.v. has “the evil one.” The adjective ending can be either masculine or neuter. The presence of the definite article seems to favor the a.s.v. translation, “the evil one.” But a rule of Greek grammar supports the a.v. translation; ho anthropos usually means “the man,” but it can mean a generality-humanity, or mankind. The a.v. chose to take this as evil in general. Frequently, where there are two possible and powerful translations, the two standard translations present the two renditions.

“Bring us not into temptation.” “Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into manifold temptations” (James 1:2). There is no more contradiction in these two passages than there is in the actual experience of a soldier who engages in the most serious meditations and prayers the night before the battle, but who charges forth over the top in the most triumphant spirit into the battle for all that is noblest and best. The context in James’ discussion shows that he is concentrating on trials such as poverty, ill health, misfortunes, and persecutions. But it also shows that he is talking about the temptations with which the devil seeks to overcome and destroy us. That we have the opportunity to prove our devotion to God should always be a subject of thanksgiving, even as we earnestly pray for His guidance, presence, and help.

“For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.” The a.v. , which followed mainly the Textus Receptus, the text received at that time with its main dependence on Alexandrinus and some late cursives, has this impressive close to the prayer. The translators of the a.s.v. felt that the manuscript evidence was not sufficient for them to include it. This close of the prayer parallels its opening with adoration and praise. It reminds one of the magnificent outbursts of praise in Revelation (Revelation 5:13; Revelation 7:12; Revelation 11:17; Revelation 14:7; Revelation 15:3; Revelation 16:7; Revelation 19:6, Revelation 19:7).

Private Prayer The context in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew shows that the model prayer was given on that occasion in the midst of warnings against offering private prayers in public to be seen of men. Private prayers can be offered in public with a bustling multitude all around without the worshiper being seen of men to pray. It is not even necessary to close one’s eyes in order to pray. Closing the eyes is our manner of entering into the inner chamber and closing the door. But when the need is desperate it is possible to insulate the spirit without isolating the body. Under ordinary circumstances, however, both the Injunctions and the example of Christ lead us to seek privacy from the disturbing interruptions of the world. But we should beware lest the manner in which we seek privacy may in itself become a loud announcement to the world that we are about to engage in private prayer. The context in Matthew urges intensity in prayer; Luke’s context urges frequency and persistence in prayer. Repetition is urged in Luke’s account; vain repetition is condemned in the Sermon on the Mount. Vain means empty. We insult God when there is mere sound and no thought content in prayers. In the agony of Gethsemane Jesus repeated his prayers, but it was anything but vain repetition. James declares that the reason for the barrenness of many Christian lives is that we do not pray: “Ye have not, because ye ask not” (James 4:2). He then offers a stinging indictment of the kind of prayers we offer: “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may spend it in your pleasures” (James 4:3).

Persistence in Prayer The little parable of the persistent friend who finally routs his neighbor out of his comfortable bed to furnish him some much-needed bread for his unexpected guests teaches persistence in prayer. There is something of comedy in this parable. “Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee” (Luke 11:7). We cannot quite be sure whether the man considers this borrowing neighbor a pest, whether he is only half awake in his surly refusal, or whether it is pure selfishness. It is evident that it is winter for he has the children in bed with him as all of them are trying to keep warm. Sometimes in winter ice and snow occur in the uplands of Palestine. They are all so nice and warm ready for a restful night of sleep, and then comes this demand that he get up in the cold and find three loaves of bread for his neighbor.

We must not be puzzled when the details of parables do not fit. We must seek for the principles. God is not like this man, seeking his own comfort instead of giving instant help to one in need. The principle is that if a churlish man will finally yield to the persistence of one in need, how much more will our loving heavenly Father give to us the things which are best for us. When we do not immediately receive that for which we pray, we need to reexamine our prayer, our motives, our efforts to do our part. We should pray with expectancy, but we should always keep our own judgment in subjection: “Not my will but thine be done.” We sometimes pray with desperate urgency for things that are matters of judgment, and we persist in a manner which would imply the infallibility of our judgment. We must combine fervent requests with humble subjection to the will of God. The Holy Spirit In the further discussion Jesus shows that He is contrasting imperfect man with perfect God. “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children...” Stones abound in Palestine that are similar in size and shape to the loaves of bread in use. Bread, fish, and hard-boiled eggs were articles of diet. A scorpion, when its legs are folded in, looks very much like an egg. In the Sermon on the Mount these same illustrations are used in urging the same course of conduct — persistence in prayer. The conclusion in that sermon is, “How much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him” (Matthew 7:11). The conclusion in this instruction, given nearly two years later, is, “How much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him” (Luke 11:13). In the Sermon on the Mount we are promised that if we will seek first the kingdom of God all the other things necessary for life will be added to us. Even in the very presence of a martyr’s death the Christian, as he dies for his faith, can rejoice in this promise. He is about to enter into life in its full and final phase. In the instruction Luke records that Christ promises “the Holy Spirit to them that ask him.” This is the supreme and all-inclusive promise of life in its fullest and most perfect experience. How many of us pray daily for a larger measure of the Holy Spirit? How many make room for Him in our hearts? What adjustments would be necessary in our objectives, our places and manner of relaxation and amusement, our entire conduct of life?