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memory as they should look upon them after Christ’s ascension to
heaven.
When Christ taught the people, He did not devote the time to
prayer. He did not enforce upon them, as did the Pharisees, long,
tedious ceremonies and prayers. He taught His disciples how to pray:
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“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. 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. Be not
ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye
have need of, before ye ask Him. After this manner therefore pray
ye.”
Christ impressed upon His disciples the idea that their prayers
should be short, expressing just what they wanted, and no more.
He gives the length and substance of their prayers, expressing their
desires for temporal and spiritual blessings, and their gratitude for the
same. How comprehensive this sample prayer! It covers the actual
need of all. One or two minutes is long enough for any ordinary
prayer. There may be instances where prayer is in a special manner
indited by the Spirit of God, where supplication is made in the Spirit.
The yearning soul becomes agonized and groans after God. The
spirit wrestles as did Jacob and will not be at rest without special
manifestations of the power of God. This is as God would have it.
But many offer prayer in a dry, sermonizing manner. These pray
to men, not to God. If they were praying to God, and really under-
stood what they were doing, they would be alarmed at their audacity;
for they deliver a discourse to the Lord in the mode of prayer, as
though the Creator of the universe needed special information upon
general questions in relation to things transpiring in the world. All
such prayers are as sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal. They are
made no account of in heaven. Angels of God are wearied with
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them, as well as mortals who are compelled to listen to them.
Jesus was often found in prayer. He resorted to the lonely groves
or to the mountains to make His requests known to His Father.