“Teach us to Pray” EOPLE in the prayer-meeting often pray, "Lord, teach us how to pray, and what to pray for." Sometimes that is a cant prayer, said with no appreciation of its meaning, said because nothing else occurs just then to say. It is a good prayer, though-quite apostolic, and older than the prayer books; for Paul said we know not what to pray for as we ought; and a disciple once, after hearing Jesus pray (0, to have heard Jesus pray!), was so thrilled "when He had ceased," that he prayed to be taught the Art of Prayer: "Lord, teach us to pray." It is a good prayer that makes others want to pray. Some performances called "prayer" disgust us. When the Strong Son of God prayed, folks said, "Teach us to pray like that." That was Art. The painting, the statue, the music, the writing, that inspires us to say, "Teach us to paint, to carve, to play, to link words like that," is Art. So the praying of Jesus that made a man say, "Lord, teach us to pray," was the wi Beau fiful Dray eng Owo Beau fine Art of Praying. Bright with the Lamp of Life-it awoke a soul. fiful That "Teach us to pray" is a deep prayer, a long prayer, though very short. It includes a Pray whole solar system of truth. To know what to eng pray for and how to pray is to know more than all the universities can teach. It is first of all a petition for a pure heart, so as to know in what spirit to pray. It is a prayer to be taught what we ought to want. It is a prayer for the heart and mind of God in us, that we may pray not for what we think we want, but for what God wants in us. It is a prayer for all the necessary griefs, refinings, chastisements, nervetwinges, stings, and goads of discipline. It prays for wide horizons, bird's-eye views, and long uplooks into the Milky Way of the spiritual universe. It is a prayer for infinitude of knowledge and holiness. It is a good prayer; for if I could understand what it means, root and all, and all in all, I should know what God and man is." "LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY." That prayer has been answered, and in no vague way that needs apologizing for. The answer is concrete. Here it is: you can put your finger on it and follow its words while the child on your knee reads it. Here are no hard words a child can not speak. Its first word is a child's word"OUR FATHER." How simple! Why should prayer-meeting folks keep on praying, "Lord, teach us how to pray, and what to pray for?" Why do not they read the answer, and be still? Because, after all, the answer is not on the page, but in the Soul. The words are simple and definite; their meaning is exhaustless. A bright child can learn in an hour this little "Pater Noster" by rote: he must live this life and another one to learn it by heart. Of this "Lord's Prayer," better called "The Prayer of God's Child," it must be said there is "A deep below the deep, And a height beyond the height! Our hearing is not hearing, And our seeing is not sight." Lord, help us listen while Thou prayest. us. Beau fiful Dray ens Swo fiful “Dur Father” EAUTIFUL response to a beautiful prayer! "Our Father!" In these words alone Pray there is a burst of spiritual sunlight. This word "Father" we have been homesick to hear; for it has been very dark where we were. It was night. Very dark is the background of this revelation of God's fatherliness. We are smitten by the slings and arrows of outrageous misfortune, and we see not whence they come. We do not see why good folks get sick, and suffer, and suffer, and suffer. What have they done to be tormented so? Is this a universe where goodness is paid in the burning coin of anguish? How often are we struck low when we have just entered the Beautiful Gate of Usefulness! I had a lovely friend-playmate of mine years ago in the little country school. Together we sat on the plain pine seats, conned our lessons, and worked our little sums. Together we ran races, waded the ponds in summer, and in winter, like vikings bold, |