Truth Magazine

In Oswald Chamber’s daily devotional guide, My Utmost For His Highest, the reader finds many pages concerning the subject of prayer. Here Is the meditation on prayer from August 23:

When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and . . . pray to thy Father which is in secret. Matthew vi. 6

Jesus did not say — Dream about thy Father in secret, but pray to thy Father In secret. Prayer is an effort of will. After we have entered our secret place and have shut the door, the most difficult thing to do is to pray; we cannot get our minds into working order, and the first thing that conflicts is wandering thoughts. The great battle in private prayer is the overcoming of mental wool-gathering. We have to discipline our minds and concentrate on wilful prayer.

We must have a selected place for prayer and when we get there the plague of flies begins This must be done, and that. “Shut thy door.” A secret silence means to shut the door deliberately on emotions and remember God. God is in secret, and He sees us from the secret place; He does not see us as other people see us, or as we see ourselves. When we live in the secret place It becomes impossible for us to doubt God, we become more sure of Him than of anything else. Your Father, Jesus says, is in secret and nowhere else. Enter the secret place, and right in the center of the common round you find God there all the time. Get Into the habit of dealing with God about everything. Unless in the first waking moment of the day you learn to fling the door wide back and let God in, you will work on a wrong level all day; but swing the door wide open and pray to your Father in secret, and every public thing will be stamped with the presence of God.

Guardian of Truth XXIX: 15, p. 471
August 1, 1985

By Jady W. Copeland

Prayer occupied a very important place in the life of our Lord. On one occasion, He prayed all night. On other occasions, He found a quiet spot away from the crowd and prayed. In this article we would like to look at the model prayer found in Matthew 6 and a similar prayer in Luke 11. Some have thought the model prayer was a composite of prayers, or that the two mentioned above were the same prayer. But there is no reason to think that He would not have said similar things on more than one occasion. In Matthew He taught the model prayer as a part of a discourse on hypocrisy as He condemned the Jews for doing their righteousness “to be seen of men.” In the three examples of such hypocrisy was the example of prayer, and when He condemned their prayers, He taught them how to pray. In Luke I I one of the disciples asked Him to teach them as John had taught his disciples to pray. There is no evidence that it was to be used as a liturgical prayer. In our study we will follow the fuller account, that of Matthew.

Leading Up To The Prayer

The Jews loved to pray, as they stood in the synagogues and on the street corners, “to be seen of men.” Their motives were wrong. But they had their reward from such prayers — “to be seen of men.” Vain repetitions were condemned. Not all repetitions in prayer are vain. Jesus prayed three times for much the same thing in Gethsemane. So there is a difference in the “vain repetition” of Matthew’s account and “importunity” of Luke 11:8. One is empty, meaningless words, and the other is persistent appeals to the Lord that he desires. In one there is much sound and little thought; in the other there is sincere desires of the heart expressed repeatedly to appeal to the mercy of God. If one doesn’t receive from God what he desires the first time, he needs to examine his motives and thoughts.’ Paul said “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17) and these are not “vain repetitions. “

“Relationships” Implied In The Prayer

In the prayer we have eight relationships implied that are worthy of note. (1) Father-child: “Our Father.” Every man can understand the close relationship of father-child regardless of which civilization he is in. (2) God-worshiper: “Hallowed be thy name.” A man worships, praises and adores the one he worships. (3) King-subject: “Thy kingdom come.” (4) Master-servant: “Thy will be done.” (5) Suppliant-benefactor: “Give us this day our daily bread.” (6) Creditor-debtor: “Forgive us our debts . . . .” (7) Guide-follower: “Lead us not into temptation. ” (8) Redeemer-redeemed: “Deliver us from the evil one.” God stands in a peculiar and many-sided relationship to His followers. Truly He can supply our every need, and prayer helps to make us realize our dependence on Him (Phil. 4:19).

The Prayer

We often divide prayers into three parts: adoration, thanksgiving, and petitions. In this model prayer we see no particular reference to thanksgiving, but in a more general way we divide the model prayer into these two parts: (1) God’s glory and (2) man’s needs, both material and spiritual. In the prayer we see honor and praise to God, the conversion of man to the rule of Christ, man’s material needs and his spiritual needs, past and future. First let us notice the section dedicated to God’s glory.

God’s Glory “Our Father”:

In the Old Testament God was often said to be the father of the nation, yet passages such as Psalms 103:13 give us also the concept of the father-child relationship on an individual basis. An invocation of the Jews was often, “O Lord, God of our fathers” (Deut. 26:7; 2 Chron. 20:6). In addressing God as the Father, we give Him praise and adoration for giving us life and all the blessings a father can give a child. Jesus, in His life, gave us a fuller concept of the Father character with His love, care and protection for us as a father would his children. What a wonderful thought that, as His child (Gal. 3:27), we can approach Him in prayer and believe He will provide us with all needs. He is a divine Father without limitations in wisdom, knowledge and power. Only God’s children in Christ can expect spiritual blessings from Him.

“Hallowed Be Thy Name”:

“Hallowed”-to make holy. It means to set apart or to sanctify or make a person or thing set apart for a holy cause. It is the opposite of “common.” It shows adoration, reverence, wisdom and glory with reference to the Father. Contrast this expression with the vulgar, blasphemous way men use His name in cursings and swearings. Also contrast this with the thoughtless way men use His name (even though unintentional, perhaps) in frivolous ways with mechanical, thoughtless and common expressions which they have heard others use.

“Thy Kingdom Come”:

The kingdom (reign of Christ) had not yet begun when He taught His disciples to pray. He had not sat down at God’s right hand as king (Acts 2:29-35). God exalted Him and gave Him a name above every name to which all must one day bow in submission (Phil. 2:9). Once the sacrifice had been made, He ascended to God to rule till He put His enemies under His feet (Heb. 10:12). David prophesied of this in Psalms 110:1, and Peter affirmed it to be a fact in Acts 2:34-36, but when He gave the model prayer, it was not a fact. Often men try to adapt the prayer to us by saying “the kingdom is to come into our hearts” or that the future kingdom is to come, or even that the eternal kingdom is to come, but this is not the meaning of the statement of the Lord. The long wait for the coming of the kingdom of Christ was nearing an end, and Jesus taught the disciples to pray for its consummation.

“Thy Will Be Done, As In Heaven, So On Earth”:

This petition is tied to the former. It is tied to the great commission also. As angelic beings were subject to Him, so the prayer was for men to be as well. The purpose of Christ coming was to save men, and this was to be done through the power of the gospel (Rom. 1:16). Prayer needs to be offered for men to submit to the will of Christ but disciples also must remember that since the gospel is the power of God to save, we must feel the need to teach them (2 Tim. 2:2).

Man’s Needs

The second part of the prayer concerns itself with the needs of man. Man’s material and spiritual needs are met by the Lord (Phil. 4:19).

“Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread”:

While some believe this to be “spiritual food,” it seems to me He desires us to pray for our material blessings. It is true that He has promised the necessities if we seek the kingdom first (Matt. 6:33), but John says, “Beloved, I pray that in all things thou mayest be in health, even as thy soul prospereth” (3 Jn. 2). This is praying for material things. The word “pray” there is “wish” in some versions, but W.E. Vine says “to pray (to God), is used with this meaning in . . . 3 John 2, R.V.. . . ” (An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, V. 3, p. 199). Disciples need not only to give thanks for material things, but to seek His blessings, thus making us realize from whence they come. Note that he did not pray for luxuries, but only for the staff of life.

“And Forgive Us Our Debts, As We Also Have Forgiven Our Debtors”:

Luke says, “sins” as we forgive those “indebted to us.” Foster makes the point that “debt is a wider term and includes both sins of commission and omission” and adds that “trespass emphasizes sins of commission” (Studies In The Life Of Christ, p. 864). Note that Jesus uses the word “trespass” in v. 14 in commenting on the prayer. Here we have an example of a disposition and attitude man must have before God will have that attitude toward us. God shows mercy if we are merciful (Jas. 2:13), and here He will forgive if we forgive our fellow man.

“And Bring Us Not Into Temptation, But Deliver Us From The Evil One”:

God allows us to be tested but not beyond our ability to resist (1 Cor. 10:13). There is no contradiction between this and James 1:13. Christ was tempted (Heb. 2:18) and the heroes of old were also (Heb. 11:37), but this doesn’t mean God desires us to sin. We are drawn by our own lust. We are allowed to dwell where temptations arise (Gal. 6:1). God tested Abraham (Gen. 22:1), but while He did not desire him to sin, He wanted to know of his faith. When Abraham stretched forth his hand to kill Isaac, God said, “. . . now I know that thou fearest God. . . ” (Gen. 22:12). Temptations come from Satan (1 Cor. 7:5; Matt. 4:1), but man’s faith is tested when he is allowed to be put in the position of being tested. Jesus said, “Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matt. 26:41). The word “one” (evil one) is not in the original, but the translators of the American Standard thought the idea was there. It is hard to tell from the original, but the thought is little changed if he speaks of Satan or simply to deliver us from evil –generally.

Many ancient manuscripts add to this prayer, “For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever, Amen.” While it is not in many of the better manuscripts, it is much like the beautiful expressions found in such passages as Revelation 5:13; 7:12; 11:17, and others. It is a great expression of praise and adoration that would always be in order as we lift our voices heavenward.

Truly disciples today can learn much from prayer. Included in it is a truly comprehensive concept of all that man needs-in a material way and in a spiritual way. Not only must we be forgiven of the Lord, but we must pray that we have the wisdom to avoid temptations and to be able to resist such. Too often we don’t take the way of escape that the Lord provides (1 Cor. 10:13). Too often, I am afraid we don’t give the Lord enough praise and adoration in our prayers.

Conclusion

Let us not fall into the habit of meaningless and empty words repeated from others’ prayers, but from our hearts pour out our thoughts to our Maker and Redeemer in fervent adoration, thanksgiving and praise; and earnestly seek His blessings from a sincere heart, thinking more of what He thinks than what brethren think.

Guardian of Truth XXIX: 15, pp. 464-465, 467
August 1, 1985

By Irvin Himmel

Jesus Christ worked miracles, wonders, and signs, thereby demonstrating that He was approved of God (Acts 2:22). The apostles of our Lord were endowed with miraculous powers to confirm their teaching (Mk. 16:17-20). Many baptized believers received supernatural gifts through the laying on of hands by the apostles (Acts 8:15-17; 19:5,6). Paul taught that these gifts would cease with the coming of “that which is perfect,” namely, the completion of God’s revelation (1 Cor. 13:10).

Having the perfect revelation of God in the Holy Scriptures, twentieth-century Christians have no reason to expect miracles or supernatural gifts. This poses a question about prayer: Why should I pray in an age of no miracles?

The answer to this problem is simple. God can answer our prayers without working miracles. It is not necessary that natural law be set aside or suspended, and divine law revealed in the Bible does not need to be by-passed, in order for our prayers to avail.

In Bible times when miracles were being performed, prayers often were answered without miraculous means.

David’s Prayer Concerning Ahithophel

Absalom’s rebellion prompted David to flee Jerusalem. The conspiracy against David was strong. Two hundred men from Jerusalem had rallied to Absalom at Hebron. Among the defectors was Ahithophel, David’s counselor. As more and more people turned their loyalty to Absalom, it was not regarded as safe for the king to remain in Jerusalem.

As David and his household and all the people with him made their way up the mount of Olives, they had their heads covered and were weeping. It was a sad day. Someone told David that Ahithophel was among the conspirators. David said, “O Lord, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness” (2 Sam. 15:31).

God answered that prayer by providing a man who could offset Ahithophel’s advice. No miracle was necessary. When David reached the top of the mount, he worshiped God. An old friend, Hushai the Archite, met David and offered his services. The king urged him to return to Jerusalem and make himself available to Absalom. David realized that Hushai might well be the answer to his prayer.

twelve thousand men and pursue David immediately, Hushai urged him to wait. His counsel was that more men would be needed, and Absalom should lead the fight in person. “And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel.” The same verse (2 Sam. 17:14) explains that “the Lord had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that the Lord might bring evil upon Absalom.”

Ahithophel went home, put his house in order, and hanged himself (2 Sam. 17:23).

God answered David’s prayer in a providential manner, but no miracle was wrought to overthrow Ahithophel’s counsel.

Elijah’s Prayer For Rain

The prophet Elijah prayed that it might not rain, and it rained not on the earth for the space of three years and six months.” The land of Israel suffered an awful drought. “And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit” (Jas. 5:17, 18).

Elijah’s prayer for rain brought a cloud and a rainstorm (1 Kgs. 18:42-45). On top of Carmel he “cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees.” He commanded his servant to go and look toward the sea. The servant saw nothing. This was done seven times. At the seventh time, the servant said, “Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand.” That is how a cloud looks when it is far distant. Soon the heaven was black with clouds and there was wind and rain.

In his famous sermon on “Prayer: Its Efficacy,” J.W. McGarvey points to God’s use of the laws that govern weather to answer Elijah’s prayer:

How did the rain come? If it had come without the cloud, that would have been a miracle. If it had come, from over the desert, that would have been a miracle. How did it come? The clouds came up from the sea, as every rain cloud does, The wind blew it eastward, and when it came in contact with cooler volumes of air, its vapor was condensed, and the rain fell. It came just as any other rain comes. It came in answer to prayer (McGarvey’s Sermons, pp. 322-323).

Hezekiah’s Prayer During Sickness

A contemporary of Isaiah, Hezekiah was one of Judah’s good kings. He became “sick unto death.” Later, when Ahithophel advised Absalom to send out Isaiah told him, “Thus saith the Lord, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.” The king then turned his face to the wall and prayed to God, and he wept sore

Before Isaiah had gone out into the middle court, the Lord told him to go back and tell Hezekiah, “I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up into the house of the Lord.” Furthermore, God promised to add fifteen years to the king’s span of life.

Isaiah instructed, “Take a lump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered” (2 Kgs. 20:1-7).

There is no doubting that God could have healed Hezekiah miraculously, but the evidence is that God blessed the natural means used in this case. God could have healed him immediately so that he could go up into the house of the Lord that very day. But this is not what took place. He did not go until the third day.

Adam Clarke says the poultice of figs “was the natural means which God chose to bless to the recovery of Hezekiah’s health.” God can heal today by making our bodies responsive to medical treatment, or by enabling our bodies to throw off disease. A prayer for the sick does not mean that one is asking for a miracle.

Nehemiah’s Prayer Concerning The Wall Of Jerusalem

Some of the Jews had been back in their homeland for nearly a century when word came to Nehemiah at Shushan in Persia that the wall of Jerusalem was yet in ruins. This distressed Nehemiah. He prayed fervently that he might be granted mercy in the sight of the king (Neh. 1).

God granted Nehemiah’s petition He could have done it by miracle. He could have miraculously rebuilt the wall, or provided supplies in some supernatural way. But God did it without miraculous means. The Persian king took note of Nehemiah’s sad countenance. This gave opportunity for explanation. Nehemiah asked for permission to go to Jerusalem long enough to build the wall. “And the king granted me,” he said, “according to the good hand of my God upon me” (Neh. 2:1-8). Furthermore, the king was disposed to lend assistance. It is another case of prayer and providence.

“Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread”

Jesus taught the disciples so to pray (Matt. 6:11). How is such a prayer granted? God could work a miracle as He fed the Israelites with manna in the wilderness if that were His will. But when we pray for our daily bread we do not expect God to send ready-prepared food from heaven and set it on our table.

The work condition is understood (2 Thess. 3:10). But someone may ask, “If I work for my bread, why pray for it?” We should pray that God will bless our efforts and make our work fruitful. “. . . The world shortly before harvest is only a few weeks from starvation; and, however faithful a man may be in toil and planting, a million changes intricately interwoven rule and threaten his daily bread” (Geo. A. Buttrick, Prayer, p. 71).

Conclusion

The cases which we have studied show that God can utilize natural laws and manipulate in human affairs to provide according to His will. Prayer is not limited to an age of miracles. God’s response to prayer is not limited to miracle working.

Guardian of Truth XXIX: 15, pp. 462-463
August 1, 1985

By Hoyt H. Houchen

Question: How do the accounts of Judas’ death in Matthew 27:5 and Acts 1:18 harmonize?

Reply: There is no conflict between the two accounts. The account in Matthew 27:5 simply states how Judas died. “And he cast down the pieces of silver into the sanctuary, and departed; and went out and hanged himself.” Obviously, the death of Judas resulted from suicide.

The statement by Peter in Acts 1:18 describes what happened after Judas hanged himself. The limb or rope may have given way and he fell down a deep place and was disemboweled on the sharp rocks. There are some rocky terraces in the vicinity of where the event took place. Furthermore, it cannot be determined how long Judas’ body remained suspended before it fell. His body could have been hanging for sufficient time for it to decompose, and thus drop. “Now this man obtained a field with the reward of his iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.”

Neither of the two passages excludes the other. Matthew does not state that Judas, after hanging himself fell and burst asunder; but, he does not deny it. Peter does not mention that Judas hanged himself previous to his fall, but neither does he deny it. So, actually the two passages supplement each other. One writer tells us how Judas died; the other tells us what followed the hanging. Matthew 27:5 and Acts 1:18 harmonize.

Guardian of Truth XXIX: 16, p. 485
August 15, 1985