hallowed be Thy Name; Thy Kingdom come; Thy Will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.”
He then said to them: “Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go to him at midnight, and shall say to him: ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, because a friend is come off his journey to me, and I have not what to set before him’; and he from within should answer and say: ‘Trouble me not; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed ; I cannot rise and give thee.’ Yet if he shall continue knocking, I say to you, although he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity, he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. And I say to you, ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock[1], and it shall be opened to you, for every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.
“What father among you, if his son shall ask him for bread, will give him a stone! or if he ask a fish, will instead of a fish give him a scorpion? If you, then[2], being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give the good spirit[3] to them that ask him.
“Again, I say to you, that if two of you shall consent upon earth, concerning anything whatsoever they shall ask, it shall be done to them by My Father who is in heaven. For where there are two or three gathered in My Name[4], there am I in the midst[5] of them.”
COMMENTARY.
Prayer is an art which must be learnt and practised. Our Lord teaches this by showing us 1. for what we are to pray, and 2. how
- ↑ Ask, seek, knock. The perseverance of prayer is well expressed by these three words.
- ↑ If you, then. If even sinful men grant the requests of their children, how much more will God, your heavenly Father, listen to the prayers of you, His children.
- ↑ The good spirit. All the best gifts and graces of God are spiritual and make our spirit (soul) good.
- ↑ In My Name. i. e. when My honour and the confession of faith in Me is the object of the assembly.
- ↑ In the midst. Making their prayer one with mine and thus pleasing to God and efficacious.
