Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, vols. 13–63

1. Andit came topass, that as He waspraying in a certain place, when He ceased, one ofHis disciples said unto Him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. It seemed to this disciple as if he did not know how to pray after he had heard Christ pray. The prayer of Jesus was so infinitely above anything that he had ever reached that he said, "Lord, teach us to pray." And as if he felt that he needed a precedent for asking such hallowed instruction, he said, "Teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples." We must all feel that if we are to pray aright, we must be taught of God, by his Holy Spirit. We are full of infirmities and if there is any time when our infirmities are felt most, it is when we engage in prayer, but "the Spirit also helps our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought." Let us, then, breathe this prayer to our great Teacher, "Lord, teach us to pray."

2. And He said to them, When you pray, say, Our Father which are in Heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, as in Heaven, so in earth. When we come to God in prayer, we are apt to think first of our own necessities, but if we came aright, in the spirit of sonship, truly saying, "Our Father who are in Heaven," we should begin our prayer like this, "'Hallowed be Your name.' May all men honor, reverence, and adore Your holy name. 'Your kingdom come.' We are not satisfied that You should be anything less than King! Our heart's desire is, 'Reign, gracious God over us and over all men.' 'Your will be done, as in Heaven, so in earth.' 'Your will be done,' rather than ours." Now comes a prayer for ourselves—

3. Give us day by day our daily bread."Give us, O Lord, what we really need—not that which would be a luxury, but that which is a necessity. 'Give us,' according as we shall need it day by day, what we shall then actually need—'our daily bread.'" We are not warranted in asking much more than this in temporal matters. They are all comprehended in this petition as far as they are necessary, but God has not given us carte blanche to ask for wealth, or honor, or any such dangerous things. There is no harm in asking for bread—and He will give us that.

4. And forgive us our sins.We also need to pray this prayer. I do not think that our Savior ever anticipated a time when His disciples on earth would not need to pray, "Forgive us our sins."

4. For we also forgive everyone that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation. "Lord, do not try us and test us more than is absolutely necessary, for we are so apt to fall! 'Lead us not into temptation,' but if we must be tempted"—

4. Deliver us from evil."If some good end is to be answered by our being thus tested, then let it be so, but, O Lord, 'deliver us from evil,' and especially from the Evil One—do not allow us to fall into his hands in the hour of temptation."

5, 6. And He said to them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lendme three loaves; for a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, andIhave nothing to set before him. This man was in a sad plight—his friend was faint and hungry and he was willing enough to entertain him, but he had "nothing to set before him." So he acts very wisely—he goes to a friend, and asks him to lend him three loaves.

7. And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you. If the man outside keeps on knocking. If he will not go away without the bread he wants for his friend, what will happen?

8. I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give to him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needs. See the power of importunate prayer? And you, Beloved, can have all that you really need for yourselves or others if you will only ask for it in the right way. If, summoning every faculty of your being, you resolve to plead, and plead, and plead yet again and again, and never take, "No," for an answer, your heart's desire shall be granted!

9. And I say unto you, ask, andit shall be given you. But if asking does not seem to prevail with God— 9. Seek, and you shall find. And if, for a while, you do not find, come closer in—

9. Knock, andit shall be opened unto you. There are different methods of praying and each one has its special adaptation to the state in which you may be—so use that method to which the Holy Spirit guides you—so use all methods until you prevail.

10, 11. For everyone that asks receives, and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone?There were many stones in those days that were in appearance wonderfully like the bread which they used in the East, but would any father mock his son by giving him one of those stones to break his teeth, instead of bread that he could eat? Never!

11-13. Or ifhe asks for a fish, willhe for a fish give him a serpent? Orifhe shallaskfor an egg, willhe offer him a scorpion? If you, then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly

Father give the Holy Spirit to them that asks Him? [See Sermon #959, Volume 16—RIGHT REPLIES TO RIGHT REQUESTS.] If you have the Holy Spirit, you virtually have all good gifts, for the Spirit is the earnest of God's Love, the pledge of joys to come! And He brings with Him all things that are necessary and good for you!

14. And He was casting out a devil, and it was dumb.So that this poor man could not obey the Savior's teaching. He could not pray, for he was under the influence of a dumb devil. How many of that sort there are still in the world! They cannot speak with God, they have never learned to pray, for they are possessed by a dumb devil!

14. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spoke; and the people wondered. When the devil is driven out of men by Christ, they soon begin to pray. The little sentence, "Behold, he prays," was the indication of a new birth in Saul of Tarsus. The Lord grant that some here who have been possessed by a dumb spirit, may be graciously led to pray! Remember, dear Friend, that God will hear your prayer the first time you call upon Him—and there is a text which says, "Before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear."

15. But some of them said, He casts out devils through Beelzebub, the chief of the devils. They could not have uttered a fouler lie than this! And if people thus slandered the Lord Jesus Christ, we need not be surprised if they speak ill of us!

16. And others, tempting Him, sought of Him a sign from Heaven.Yet they had a very striking one in the dumb devil being cast out of the man! What clearer sign than that could they have?

17. 18. But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house fails. If Satan also is divided against himself how shall his kingdom stand? Because you say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub.If Satan cast out Satan, his kingdom would soon come to an end! Note how calmly the Savior met these mockers and quibblers. There is no trace of anger in His words—they said the worst thing they could say about Him and His work and yet, in the coolest manner possible, He closes their mouths in the silence of shame. God grant us Grace to be calm and strong even when we are most furiously assailed! It is when we are in a hurry and fret that we grow weak.

19-23. And if I, by Beelzebub, cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore shall they be your judges. But if I, with the finger of God, cast out devils, no doubt the Kingdom of God is come upon you. When a strong man armed keeps his palace, his goods are in peace: but when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he takes from him all his armor wherein he trusted, and divides his spoils. He that is not with Me is against Me: and he that gathers not with Me, scatters.Christ had made no compact with the powers of darkness! He was not casting the demons out with the devil's aid—it was absurd to think that He was! He was fighting them and casting them out by His own Divine, Omnipotent energy. Now comes a very striking parable—

24. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man—Satan does, sometimes, go out of men entirely of his own accord without being turned out. He goes out for a walk, meaning to go back again. Many a man has left off being a drunk, or left off being lascivious—for a time—"when the unclean spirit is gone out of a man"—

24. He walks through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, I will return unto my house—You see that he still calls it hishouse. He has gone out for a walk, but he has taken the keys of his house with him. Some people sign the pledge and give up being drunks for a time, but if the devil is still their master, he has only gone away for a while, and he will come back again before long. If he goes out of his own accord, he will come back when he pleases—"I will return unto my house"—

24, 26. From where I came out. And when he comes, he finds it swept and garnishe. The man has become quite a decent sort of fellow! He has given up his bad ways and is a respectable member of society. The house is swept and garnished, but it is the devil's house all the same!

26. Then goes he, and takes to him even other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first [See Sermon #613, Volume 11—"the strong one driven out by a stronger one."] There are, alas, many who have only a sham conversion, a conversion which lasts but a very little while. The devil was not cast out of them, but he went out of his own accord. But where Christ has come—the One who is far stronger than the devil—to cast him out of his house, the devil will never be allowed to come back again, Christ will take care of that! Having won the victory and taken the house, he will keep it by force of arms. But beware, I pray you, of a "conversion" without Christ! Beware of a "reformation" in which the devil, himself, is a co-worker with you, for it will come to something worse in the end! Let me read the verse again—"Then goes he, and takes to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in, and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first." He becomes a worse man than ever because once he promised to be better, but only promised it in his own strength, which was utter weakness!