05.16. The Only Rule Which God Hath Given to Direct His People In Their Prayers to Him
The Only Rule Which God
Hath Given To Direct His
People In Their Prayers To Him
First, There is a general rule given us for that end; and that is the whole word of God, the scriptures of the Old and New Testament, in which God’s will is revealed, as to all things to be believed or done by us,’ John 5:14. ’And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.’ By our bible we may learn to pray; for there we are furnished with all sorts of helps and directions for this duty, as to matter, manner, and words; and therefore it is a complete directory for prayer.
1. It furnishes us abundantly with matter of prayer, in all the parts of it, petition, confession, &c. Psalms 51:4-5. ’Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight; that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me;’ Php 4:6. ’Be careful for nothing: but in every thing by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.’ And whoso has the word of God dwelling richly in him, will not want of matter for prayer, for himself or for others. There is a storehouse of it there, of great variety; and we are welcome to the use of it, agreeable to our own case.
2. It fully directs us as to the manner of prayer: as, for instance, that we must pay with sincerity, Hebrews 10:22. ’Let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled for an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water;’ with humility, Psalms 10:17. ’Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear;’ in faith, James 1:6; and with fervency, James 5:16. ’Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of the righteous man availeth much.’ And there is no qualification necessary in prayer, but what we may learn from the holy word.
3. It furnishes us with the most fit words to be used in prayer. Do ye want words to express your desires before the Lord? He has given us his own words in the bible, that we may use them according to our needs, Hosea 14:2. ’Take with you words, and turn to the Lord: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously; so will we render the calves of our lips.’
Secondly, There is a special rule given us by Jesus Christ for that end, namely, that from of words which Christ taught his disciples, commonly called ’The Lord’s prayer;’ that excellent pattern and example of prayer, composed by Jesus Christ himself for our direction, which every Christian is obliged to receive with the utmost reverence, as the Lord’s own word. But it was never imposed by Jesus Christ, or his apostles, as a set form to which his church is bound to pray in these very words, and no other. It is true, in the year 618, the Council of Toledo imposed it on the clergy, under the pain of deposition; but then Antichrist had mounted the throne, and the Papists since have superstitiously abused it to this day. I would all Protestants could plead, Not Guilty. To clear this matter,
1. The Lord’s prayer is given us as a directory for prayer, a pattern and an example, by which we are to regulate our petitions, and make other prayers by. This is clear from the text, After this manner pray ye,&c. And it is a most ample directory in few words, to be eyed by all praying persons, if studied and understood. There we are taught to pray in a known tongue, and without vain repetitions, to God only, and for things allowed; to have chief respect to the glory of God and our own advantage.
2. It may also be used as a prayer, so that it be done with understanding, faith, reverence, and other praying graces. So we own the very words may lawfully be used, Matthew 6:9. compared with Luke 11:2. See Larger Catechism, quest. 187. and the Directory for Public Worship, under the title, Of prayer after Sermon, para. 5. Who can refuse this, since it is a piece of holy scripture, of the Lord’s own word? And they who are so weak, as that they cannot conceive prayer, do well to use this holy form; though they should endeavour to make further progress in prayer. And sometimes knowing Christians, under great desertions, not able to conceive prayer, have used it with good success. But, 3. Our Lord hath not tied us to this very form of words when we pray to God. This is evident,
(1.) Because the prayers afterwards recorded in the scripture, were neither this form of words, nor yet concluded with it. Christ himself used it not in his prayer at Lazarus’s grave, John 11:41; nor in his last prayer, John 17:1-26. Nor did his apostles, Acts 1:24; nor the Church, Acts 4:24. &c.
(2.) This prayer is diversely set down by Matthew and Luke, the only two evangelists that make mention of it. And though it is obvious, that there is an entire harmony between them, as to the matter and sense of the words; yet it is equally obvious to all who compare them together, that there is some difference as to mode or manner of expression, particularly as to the fourth and fifth petitions; which certainly there would not have been, had it been designed for a form of prayer. In Luke, the fourth petition runs thus, ’Give us day by day our daily bread;’ but in Matthew, it is thus expressed, ’Give us this day our daily bread.’ The latter contains a petition for the supply of present wants; and the former for the supply of wants as they daily recur upon us: so that both accounts being compared together, we are directed to pray for those temporal blessings which we want at present, and for a supply of those we stand in need of as they daily recur: which shows a considerable difference in the expressions. In Luke the fifth petition is, ’Forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us;’ whereas, in Matthew the expression is very different, viz. ’Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.’ Again, Luke leaves out the doxology, ’For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen;’ which Matthew adds. From whence it may be justly inferred, that our Lord’s design in furnishing his disciples with this prayer, was not that they should confine themselves solely to the manner of expression used therein, without the least variation; for then undoubtedly the two evangelists would have recorded it in the very same words; but he rather intended it as a directory respecting the matter of prayer. So that it is impossible to keep by the form of words precisely, since it is not one. It is said, Luke 11:2. ’When ye pray, say, &c. Here we are tied to the form of words, say our adversaries. Ans. By this phrase is to be understood the manner, viz. Say this on the matter, pray after this manner. Compare Matthew 6:9. If it is to be understood otherwise, then, (1) According to Matthew 10:7. ’Go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand;’ the disciples preaching was confined to these very words, which we are sure it was not. (2) It would be unlawful to pray in any other words, which no Christian dare assert. (3) Neither Papists nor Episcopalians stick to these words in Luke, but use the words in Matthew; by which they give up the cause.
Further, it may be observed, that our Saviour chiefly intended this prayer as a directory, respecting the matter of our petitions, rather than a form; because it does not explicitly contain all the parts of prayer, particularly confession of sin, and thankful acknowledgment of mercies. Again, there is no explicit or direct mention of the Mediator, in whose name we are to pray; nor of his obedience, sufferings, and intercession, on which the efficacy of our prayers is founded, and their success depends: which things are to be supplied from other parts of scripture; all which, taken together, give us a complete directory for prayer. From the whole, I think it is evident, that a prayer formed upon the model of this excellent pattern, having the substance of the several petitions interspersed through it, though expressed in other words, is a true scriptural prayer; and that there is no necessity to conclude with the Lord’s prayer. And therefore, I cannot but think, that Papists, and many Protestants, who conclude their prayers with the very words of the Lord’s prayer, make a very superstitious use of it; causing people imagine, that the bare recital of the words of the Lord’s prayer sanctifies their other prayers; and that no prayer can be accepted of God where this, I cannot but call it vain, repetition is omitted.*
*There is a use of words in prayer, to excite and convey, and give vent to affection, Hosea 14:2. ’Take with you words and turn to the Lord, and say, take away all iniquity and receive us graciously.’ Now these may be considered either when we are alone, or in company.
1. When we are alone. Here take the advice of the Holy Ghost, Ecclesiastes 5:2. ’God is in heaven, and thou art upon earth, therefore let thy words be few.’ Few in weight, affecting rather to speak matter than words. Few in conscience. Pray neither too short nor too long; do it not merely to lengthen out the prayer, or as counting the better for being long. Few with reverence, and managed with that gravity, awfulness, and seriousness, as would become an address to God.
2. In company. There our words must be apt and orderly, moving as much as may be not to God but to the hearers; managed with such reverence and seriousness as may suit with the gravity of the duty; conceiving aright of God, particularly that He is, and that He is a Spirit, and they who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Dr. Manton on the Lord’s Prayer.