R.C. Sproul

Hearing it over and over and over again may lead us to blind, empty, mindless repetition. Or it may be taking these words, these principles. and burning them into our minds, burning them into our consciences by repetition. Repetition in and of itself is not a bad thing. It's one of the most important ingredients of learning, of going over the information over and over and over again. Why?

Hearing it over and over and over again may lead us to blind, empty, mindless repetition. Or it may be taking these words, these principles. and burning them into our minds, burning them into our consciences by repetition. Repetition in and of itself is not a bad thing. It's one of the most important ingredients of learning, of going over the information over and over and over again. Why?

Because it's the rare person who masters a concept or a principle by hearing it once. Great virtuosos on the piano or on the violin master the scales by playing them over and over and over again. There was a great piano teacher who was teaching one of his students scales.

Because it's the rare person who masters a concept or a principle by hearing it once. Great virtuosos on the piano or on the violin master the scales by playing them over and over and over again. There was a great piano teacher who was teaching one of his students scales.

And he said to the student, as the student was getting bored to tears playing these scales, the student said, I don't want to play scales. I want to play like von Kleiber. I want to play like a great piano virtuoso. And the teacher said to the student, you know, you may never be able to play music like Van Cliburn.

And he said to the student, as the student was getting bored to tears playing these scales, the student said, I don't want to play scales. I want to play like von Kleiber. I want to play like a great piano virtuoso. And the teacher said to the student, you know, you may never be able to play music like Van Cliburn.

In fact, in all probability, you won't be able to master this medium to the degree that Van Cliburn has. But one thing you can do, like Van Cliburn, he said, what's that? He said, you can play your scales. He said, you can play them as well as he plays them. And don't ever think for a moment that Van Cliburn became Van Cliburn without doing the scales over and over and over again so that those...

In fact, in all probability, you won't be able to master this medium to the degree that Van Cliburn has. But one thing you can do, like Van Cliburn, he said, what's that? He said, you can play your scales. He said, you can play them as well as he plays them. And don't ever think for a moment that Van Cliburn became Van Cliburn without doing the scales over and over and over again so that those...

tones became second nature to him. That's the other side of this question. That's the benefit of praying a prayer like the Lord's Prayer over and over and over again. It becomes part of the fabric of our thinking. It begins to become a part of our soul. And it's something we fall back on when we're at a loss on how to pray. We can always pray the Lord's Prayer.

tones became second nature to him. That's the other side of this question. That's the benefit of praying a prayer like the Lord's Prayer over and over and over again. It becomes part of the fabric of our thinking. It begins to become a part of our soul. And it's something we fall back on when we're at a loss on how to pray. We can always pray the Lord's Prayer.

Okay, with those little caveats, let's take a look now at this prayer that Jesus gives to the church as the supreme model of prayer. Again, answering the question, how to pray. Jesus said, when you pray, here's how. When you pray, pray like this. And He begins this model prayer with these words, "'Our Father who art in heaven.'"

Okay, with those little caveats, let's take a look now at this prayer that Jesus gives to the church as the supreme model of prayer. Again, answering the question, how to pray. Jesus said, when you pray, here's how. When you pray, pray like this. And He begins this model prayer with these words, "'Our Father who art in heaven.'"

Those of you who have been in Christian groups that pray frequently or in church groups where people will move around the room and give individual prayers, perhaps you've noticed already how common it is for Christians to begin their prayers with the word, Father, or Our Father, or Our Dear Heavenly Father.

Those of you who have been in Christian groups that pray frequently or in church groups where people will move around the room and give individual prayers, perhaps you've noticed already how common it is for Christians to begin their prayers with the word, Father, or Our Father, or Our Dear Heavenly Father.

Again and again, the overwhelming majority of personal prayers begin with some form of the address of God as Father. And we have a tendency to take this title for God for granted.

Again and again, the overwhelming majority of personal prayers begin with some form of the address of God as Father. And we have a tendency to take this title for God for granted.

It is so familiar to us, so common to our life and to our liturgy, that if there's anything that we can say without thinking in the Lord's Prayer, it's the opening form of address, our Father, missing how radical this statement is. The German theologian, Joachim Jeremias, a New Testament scholar, did a study. It's been questioned by some, but the fruit of Jeremias' research was this.

It is so familiar to us, so common to our life and to our liturgy, that if there's anything that we can say without thinking in the Lord's Prayer, it's the opening form of address, our Father, missing how radical this statement is. The German theologian, Joachim Jeremias, a New Testament scholar, did a study. It's been questioned by some, but the fruit of Jeremias' research was this.

He searched through the Old Testament writings and the existent rabbinic writings from ancient Jewish sources and could not find a single example ever of a Jewish writer or author addressing God directly as Father in prayer until the tenth century A.D. Couldn't find a Jewish prayer that has survived in printed form to this day.

He searched through the Old Testament writings and the existent rabbinic writings from ancient Jewish sources and could not find a single example ever of a Jewish writer or author addressing God directly as Father in prayer until the tenth century A.D. Couldn't find a Jewish prayer that has survived in printed form to this day.