From the Elder's Pen "Prayer" 12/22/02 Past/Future Articles

It is my earnest desire that these prayer thoughts will help to draw us closer to each other and closer to God.  Prayer will be only a turbulent emotion if it does not connect us with the source of life and power.  Prayer has no power, but God does, and prayer connects us with Him.  We do not need to pretend when we pray.  There are no secrets where God is concerned.  We could not hide our true feelings from Him, even if we wished to do so.  But pretense is unnecessary mainly because God is a loving heavenly Father.  We may go to Him when our concerns are large or small; when faith is strong or weak; when filled with optimism and hope, or shattered by despair.  Of all the occasions in which prayer is offered, mealtime is one of the most pleasant.  Normally it takes little persuasion to draw all the guests to the table.  Mealtime prayers too frequently are either thoughtless little rhymes or speeches to God.  Certainly an occasion like mealtime is worthy of better prayers.  The duty of Christians in reference to prayer, Paul wrote Timothy “I desire therefore that the men pray in every place, lifting up holy hands without wrath and disputing.”  And again: “Pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus to youward” (I Tim. 2:8; 1 Thess. 5:17, 18).  But Paul frequently mentioned that he prayed for Timothy and others and requested and entreated others to pray for him.  The early disciples spent much time in prayer.  Our Lord engaged often in prayer, at times spending much of the night in prayer to the divine heavenly Father.  Our Savior not only prayed much but he also taught his disciples to pray.  Are you his disciples?  Have you learned how to pray?  Have you been taught?  Have you gone to the great Teacher that you may learn?  “Lord teach us to pray” plead the disciples, “as John also taught his disciples.” In complying with this request the Savior not only gave them instruction, but gave them a model prayer.  Some teachers of modern times teach precious little on prayer.  Some say they do not think a prayer should be expressed to the student in words, nor committed to record or printed.  Well the Savior did both.  This is the way he taught his disciples to pray.  In words he told them how, and the words have been recorded by the inspired writer.  Note the beauty and simplicity of our Savior three prayers, two of them given by the Savior to teach his disciples how to pray, the third his own intercessory prayer uttered in the shadow of the approaching cross.

          THREE PRAYERS FROM THE LIPS OF OUR SAVIOR:

FIRST PRAYER – MATTHEW 6:9-15
SECOND PRAYER – LUKE 11:1-4
THIRD PRAYER – JOHN 17:1-26

This article is incomplete until the above references have been read.  I trust I have left a prayer thought with each Christian.