Teach Us to Pray by Methodist Recorder

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Jun 17, 1886

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 12, No. 23.

Teach Us to Pray.

By Methodist Recorder

“Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples,” was the request which one of Christ’s disciples presented to him on a certain occasion. We do not know whether the request referred to the form, or to the spirit of prayer, or to both. There is certainly nothing improper in the request, in whichever of these senses we may understand it. We should address God in a becoming manner, as well as in a proper spirit. Prayer should contain thanksgiving for blessings received, confession for sins committed, and supplication for blessings desired. This is about all that is necessary and all that is proper in addressing our heavenly Father.

In attempting to address God we should never address the people. Our business in prayer is not with the people, but with our Father in Heaven. We should forget the people in our approaches to God, except so far as we make them the subjects of our supplication. Preaching, and exhortation, and the repetition of the same thing in various forms, are out of place in prayer, and if these were excluded, most prayers would be shortened at least one-half. It is not necessary to tell God in our prayers what he knows far better than we do. After thanking him for his mercies, and confessing our sins, which we cannot do in detail, we should present to God the desire of our hearts in simplicity and godly sincerity. Without any circumlocution, we should ask him for what we want.