Editorial July 1, 1911 Issue

"TEACH US TO PRAY"

Archibald McLellan

How many longing and troubled hearts have echoed that humble request of the disciples: "Lord, teach us to pray,"—the instinctive confidence in God and His goodness that turns our thought to Him as a sure refuge in time of need, an unfailing tower of strength when the frailty of all human dependences, the unstableness of earthly hopes, bring to our lips the psalmist's acknowledgment of God's allness, "Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man."

The disciples had been with the Master long enough to learn that his trust in his heavenly Father was implicit; that whatever the perplexity or difficulty which confronted him, he turned unhesitatingly to the source of all wisdom for its solution. They had seen the sick healed of their diseases, the unclean spirits cast out from them that were afflicted, they had witnessed the wonderful draft of fishes that rewarded obedience to his command to "launch out into the deep, and let down your nets," the stilling of the boisterous wind and raging seas that calmed while it rebuked their fears, the restoration to the bereaved widow of Nain of her only son, and the marvelous feeding of the multitude with the five loaves and two fishes,—all these and many other wondrous works had been wrought as they stood by, believing yet amazed; and over and over again they had seen him turn to God in prayer as a necessary preliminary to these "mighty works."

The time had come when they were to go to the cities and villages round about,—to search out and succor "the lost sheep of the house of Israel,"—in fulfilment of the Master's command "to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick." Is it any wonder that, thinking, perhaps, of the responsibilities of their commission, they should have preferred the request, "Teach us to pray," that they too might effectually address themselves to Him who, as Jesus himself declared, "doeth the works"?

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