THE TRINITY OF PRAYER


A. "TEACH ME THY WAY, O LORD; I WILL WALK IN THY TRUTH; UNITE MY HEART TO FEAR THY NAME" - PSALMS 86:11
  1. One is amazed to note the wide range of the petition of the Psalmist:
    1. "Teach me"
    2. "I will walk in Thy truth"
    3. "Unite my heart to fear Thy name"
  2. The prayer of the Psalmist affected:
    1. His heart of mind
    2. His walk or his life
    3. His entire concentration to the service of the Lord
B. NOTE THE INCLUSIVENESS OF THE PRAYER OF THE MAN OF GOD
  1. Knowledge of God's will and truth:
    1. Is the very foundation of worshipping God in spirit and in truth - John 4:22-23
    2. For how shall they call on Him of whom they have not heard, and how shall they hear with out a preacher - Rom. 10:13-17
    3. "Send thy light and thy truth; let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacle" - Ps. 43:3
    4. "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" - John 8:32
  2. The teacher:
    1. "The Lord" - all divine illumination comes from God the Father, the source of all wisdom and knowledge - Ps. 36:9
    2. The Son of God; the logos is the voice or channel of light and truth coming from the Father - I Cor. 1:30; Mat. 11:27; John 14:6
    3. The Holy Spirit is the Divine representative who guides or leads us into all truth - John 16:13
  3. The learner:
    1. "Teach me thy way, O Lord"
    2. The Psalmist, the scholar casts himself at the feet of the Divine teacher - eager for saving instructions
    3. This is truly a spirit of meekness and an acknowledgment by man of his ignorance of the perfect will of God - Prov. 4:18; John 16:12
  4. The subject:
    1. "Thy way, O Lord"
    2. Reason, "There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the ends thereof are the ways of death" - Prov. 16:25
    3. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts" - Is. 55:8-9
C. LET US NOTE THE SPECIAL BENEFIT DERIVED FROM THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH
  1. It illuminates our understanding - this is a very basic condition of worshipping God in spirit and truth:
    1. A mind blinded to the truth is incapable to receive the truth - 2 Cor. 4:4
    2. Idolatry is, by enlarge, the result of ignorance of the true and living God - Acts 17:23-31
    3. "The path of the just is as a shining light, shining more and more unto the perfect day" - Prov. 4:18
  2. It will set us free from the errors of superstition taught by men:
    1. "Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free" - John 8:32
    2. This freedom includes also freedom from the enslaving habits that have plagued us all our lives - John 8:36; Rom. 6:16-17
    3. This knowledge will provide us with the weapons God has provided for us to combat temptation
    4. The knowledge of the word and will of God were the defense of the Son of man when He was tempted by Satan - Matt. 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-12
    5. "Search the scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of Me" - John 5:39
    6. "And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that a man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works" - 2 Tim. 3:15-17
  3. Is this the one great burden of our daily supplication? Is a deep desire of knowing the way of truth more perfectly, the impelling motive of our prayer? God grant that it may be so.


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