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| Prayer |
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Matthew 6:5-13: And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites [are]: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen [do]: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. 9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as [it is] in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. There are two sections to Christ's teachings on prayer in these verses. Verses 5-8 admonish us to understand to whom the prayers are really addressed. Christ makes it clear that prayers which are designed to be heard by men and gain the praise of men, have already met their goal, and God the Father has little left to do. Of course there is nothing wrong with public prayer on behalf of a congregation. Nor is there inherently anything wrong with eloquence while praying. It is the intent and desire of the heart which matters. Eloquent public prayers which come from sincere desire fulfill their purpose. Eloquent public prayers given to engender esteem among men also fulfill their purpose, but God is not involved. The second section instructs us on how we should pray. Christ's prayer is eloquent in its simplicity. It is given for a model of prayer form rather than as a set prayer (which would eventually hinder the expression of the heart). It sets the natural bounds of the typical requests in prayer. Let's look at the verses of the prayer, and examine the implication of each: Matthew 6:9-13 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. This instructs us to direct or prayers to our Father in Heaven, and to remember reverence before Him. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as [it is] in heaven. This teachers us the proper perspective on our lives. While our daily lives are important, they exist as part of a larger process. We do well on a daily basis to be reminded of the Celestial perspective on tasks which otherwise would seem of paramount importance. It is the coming kingdom and our place in it which are of paramount importance. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. It is quite legitimate to plead with the Father for our needs. Notice, however, that it is the daily bread and not the daily bakery. It is the meeting of needs, not wish fulfilment. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. This phrase puts us in a unique position. We are reminded of the great debt we owe to our Savior, and the reciprocal responsibility to change our lives to become as he is. In a very real way, we are forgiven to the extend that we forgive. It behooves us all to be tolerant of the shortcomings of others. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. The parallel phrasing of this verse makes fro strong literature, but weak theology. God does not lead us into temptation. We are fully capable of finding it on our own. However, the parallel structure require this paired set, and as literature it is clear, even if a theology it is less so. It is important for us to call upon God to assist us in our daily fight to improve, and to resist the many temptations which would appear to be the easier path. Alma also taught a powerful lesson on the way we should pray. While the general intent is the same, Alma gives greater detail on the types of things for which we should petition God: Alma 34:17-27: 17 Therefore may God grant unto you, my brethren, that ye may begin to exercise your faith unto repentance, that ye begin to call upon his holy name, that he would have mercy upon you; 18 Yea, cry unto him for mercy; for he is mighty to save. 19 Yea, humble yourselves, and continue in prayer unto him. 20 Cry unto him when ye are in your fields, yea, over all your flocks. 21 Cry unto him in your houses, yea, over all your household, both morning, mid-day, and evening. 22 Yea, cry unto him against the power of your enemies. 23 Yea, cry unto him against the devil, who is an enemy to all righteousness. 24 Cry unto him over the crops of your fields, that ye may prosper in them. 25 Cry over the flocks of your fields, that they may increase. 26 But this is not all; ye must pour out your souls in your closets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness. 27 Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you. In addition to underlining the nature of our petitions to the Lord, Alma points out that formal prayer is, after all, only a form. Even when we are not engaged in the form, there should be a prayer in our hearts. Verse 27 tells us that our hearts should be "drawn out in prayer unto him continually" for both our own welfare, and that of others. We have not truly become Christlike until we begin to turn outward and manifest genuine concern and love for others. |
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| by Brant Gardner. Copyright 1998 |
Prayer is known
in most cultures as a way of communication with God, or with the gods. Man directs his thoughts and desires toward
God or the gods, and expects some kind or response in turn. The nature of that communication, however, varies tremendously
from culture to culture. For the Christian, Christ clearly pointed out that this was a communication which was
to be between the heart of single man and his God:
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