As Men Pray – Sunday, May 20, 1945
The needs of our lives are many—but they are perhaps not as many as we sometimes permit ourselves to suppose. Like the children we are, we are often inclined to pray for things we think are essential to our happiness, but which, in fact, may have little to do with our happiness. As do some children, we frequently seem to want what we want regardless of the consequences to us, and regardless of who else has to go without to give it to us.
We are often inclined to pray for our own particular benefit, to the exclusion of the interests of others, and sometimes to the exclusion of justice and fairness—to pray for things whether we deserve them or not. Sometimes the things we pray for, others are also praying for, and it may be something that both cannot have, and thus we pray against each other—as in a contest when both we and our opponent pray to win, and both cannot win—at least not the same thing. Men sometimes pray for “favorable” weather conditions—often forgetting that what is favorable to one may be damaging to another. We may pray earnestly at times, and rightly so from our point of view, for long continuing life for someone whose purpose in life has been accomplished and who has earned the right to move on to other scenes, and for whom, in the plans of Providence, death would be a blessed release.
Thus, there is much of confusion and counter purpose in the prayers of men, such as only the wisdom and the patience of God can reconcile and bring to order and justice—and that He does, and will continue to do so, we doubt not. It was Paul who wrote: “. . . for we know not what we should pray for as we ought . . .” (Romans 8:26), which is true of many of us. There is more than fervent desire in a worthy prayer. There should be also gratitude, trust, and, if necessary, resignation: “Thy will be done . . . ” (Matthew 6:10). Unless we concede this, we impose our wisdom against the wisdom of God, in which case a prayer may become as the coaxing or teasing of a child—as a demand insisted upon regardless of consequences. “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:9, 10.)
“The Spoken Word,” heard over Radio Station K S L and the nationwide Columbia Broadcasting System, from the Tabernacle, Temple Square, Salt Lake City, Sunday, May 20, 1945. Copyright 1945.
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May 20, 1945
Broadcast Number 0,822