Our Father and Church Fellowship
"AFTER this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in Heaven." Why are we commanded to say our Father, instead of my Father? Manifestly because it is not God's design that any man should make a selfish petition. It shows that God designs his people to be united, and not that each individual should be independent. "No man liveth to himself." When we pray to God, we are to identify ourselves with the whole body of his people; we are to indicate that we are members of the body, and are to remember them in our petitions. The man who ignores church fellowship, and thinks that he can be as good a Christian outside the church as in it, cannot use the Lord's prayer. It was not intended for him.