R.C. Sproul

It bothers me sometimes when I'll see Christians gather together for a meal, and somebody will say to the crowd, so-and-so, Johnny Smith, will you please say the grace for us? not lead us in prayer, but say the grace. I mean that suggests we're just going to say it, we're just going to recite it, and then we hear the recitation.

It bothers me sometimes when I'll see Christians gather together for a meal, and somebody will say to the crowd, so-and-so, Johnny Smith, will you please say the grace for us? not lead us in prayer, but say the grace. I mean that suggests we're just going to say it, we're just going to recite it, and then we hear the recitation.

And so what I'm saying is any prayer can become an occasion for empty repetition, for an outward rote recitation that does not come from the heart. Now, I might add to that this caveat. Jesus, when He gave the Lord's Prayer to the church, did not say, when you pray, pray this prayer. Let me say it again. Jesus did not say, when you pray, pray this prayer.

And so what I'm saying is any prayer can become an occasion for empty repetition, for an outward rote recitation that does not come from the heart. Now, I might add to that this caveat. Jesus, when He gave the Lord's Prayer to the church, did not say, when you pray, pray this prayer. Let me say it again. Jesus did not say, when you pray, pray this prayer.

What He did say to His disciples was, when you pray, pray like this. And he gave them an example of godly prayer. He gave them a model for prayer that can teach us what we call transferable principles.

What He did say to His disciples was, when you pray, pray like this. And he gave them an example of godly prayer. He gave them a model for prayer that can teach us what we call transferable principles.

I started this study on prayer by telling the story of a meeting I had with a nationally prominent piano teacher, George Mladen, who has this system where you can write in and get this method of learning the piano. And what George's technique is, is the instructing of his students in what he calls transferable principles of music.

I started this study on prayer by telling the story of a meeting I had with a nationally prominent piano teacher, George Mladen, who has this system where you can write in and get this method of learning the piano. And what George's technique is, is the instructing of his students in what he calls transferable principles of music.

So that if you learn a particular principle, the use of the pentatonic scale, for example, you then have a technique or a principle that is not applied simply to one song or even to one kind of music, but is transferable. You can use it in a multitude of different musical compositions and musical settings. What He does is give you an example of something that can be used to a wider degree.

So that if you learn a particular principle, the use of the pentatonic scale, for example, you then have a technique or a principle that is not applied simply to one song or even to one kind of music, but is transferable. You can use it in a multitude of different musical compositions and musical settings. What He does is give you an example of something that can be used to a wider degree.

That's what Jesus is doing here when He gives us the Lord's Prayer. He gives us transferable principles. He shows us how we are to pray, what the content of prayer should involve and include. He did not give us this prayer with the specific mandate to repeat the exact words of this prayer over and over and over again.

That's what Jesus is doing here when He gives us the Lord's Prayer. He gives us transferable principles. He shows us how we are to pray, what the content of prayer should involve and include. He did not give us this prayer with the specific mandate to repeat the exact words of this prayer over and over and over again.

Now again, I'm emphasizing the danger of reducing the Lord's Prayer to mindless, empty repetition. Now there's the other side of the coin. I've often said that one of my favorite liturgies in the life of the church is the traditional marriage ceremony. You've all heard it many, many times in your life every time you go to a wedding.

Now again, I'm emphasizing the danger of reducing the Lord's Prayer to mindless, empty repetition. Now there's the other side of the coin. I've often said that one of my favorite liturgies in the life of the church is the traditional marriage ceremony. You've all heard it many, many times in your life every time you go to a wedding.

Dearly beloved, we are gathered or assembled together here today in the presence of God and of these witnesses to unite this man and this woman in the holy bonds of marriage, which was instituted by God, you know, and sanctified by our Lord at the wedding feast of Canaan. And it goes on and on and on from there. It's a very brief service. It contains pledges. It contains vows.

Dearly beloved, we are gathered or assembled together here today in the presence of God and of these witnesses to unite this man and this woman in the holy bonds of marriage, which was instituted by God, you know, and sanctified by our Lord at the wedding feast of Canaan. And it goes on and on and on from there. It's a very brief service. It contains pledges. It contains vows.

It contains charges. It contains prayers. And it's one of those things that the more marriages I've performed or the more marriage services I've heard, the more blessed I am by the content of the phrases used in that order of worship.

It contains charges. It contains prayers. And it's one of those things that the more marriages I've performed or the more marriage services I've heard, the more blessed I am by the content of the phrases used in that order of worship.

That is, the more familiar I become with the language, the more I begin to think about it and meditate upon it and think, look at all of the ingredients that are contained in this brief service of marriage, how rich it is in explaining to us the sanctity of this institution. It's marvelous. And so it is with the Lord's Prayer.

That is, the more familiar I become with the language, the more I begin to think about it and meditate upon it and think, look at all of the ingredients that are contained in this brief service of marriage, how rich it is in explaining to us the sanctity of this institution. It's marvelous. And so it is with the Lord's Prayer.