(3) Finally, the Gospels aiiord us teaching on prayer given in an entirely' ditlcrent way. Under ( 1 ) the Lord's example w;is considered on its human side, teaching about prayer bj- His own prayer. But even during His ministry the Divine nature, though in a certain sense hidden, began to show itself, and He is the recipient of prayer from those who need His help. Their recpiests are not de- scribed by the highest term irpojevxatiaL, but by 5fo/iai, Si-qais. But since these requests were made to the Son of God, His way of dealing with them instructs all who pray, (a) Requests are granted where there is faith. ' Believe ye that I am able to do this?' (h) Granting requests is delayed to produce importunity and test character (^Ik 7^). A saj'ing of Seneca's well illustrates the difference between what the Stoic thought of the attitude of importunate prayer and the way in which Chris- tianity regards it : ' Nihil carius emitiir quam quM precibus emta est.' Christianity would substitute 'nihil dulciu.s.' (c) Man's ignorance in prayer is insisted on in the case of the sons of Zebedee, Mt 'iO-- ; and it is shown by experience in the ease of St. Peter, whose request is granted that he may learn that it was presumptuous, Mt 14^"'', cf. Ko 8-*. Here it may be added that the disciples who had asked Jesus dailj' and hourly for help and guidance while He was with them in the fiesli, evidently continued to do so after God had ' exalted him to lie a Prince and a Saviour.' St. Stephen says, ' Lord Jesus, receive my spirit ' ; and Chris- tians are described by St. Paulas those who ' call upon (or invoke in praver) the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,' 1 Co 1^ cf. Ac 9" -2.1'^. It is there- fore going too far to say with Origen (rfe Orat. 15) that all prayer must be ollered to the Father. Yet it is the case that Jesus teaches His disciples to pray, not to Himself, but to the Father in His name. Liddon (Bampton Lectures, note F) appears to press his argument further than a consideration of the whole evidence will justify.
ii. Acts. — The teaching and guidance given by our Lord manifests its results in the Acts and Epistles. Acts will show its external results in the Church as a whole, not, however, without some evidence of private practice. The Epp. will give its inward ellect on the devotional life of individuals, esjiecially of St. Paul, but here also something may be gathered as to external and corporate usages.
(1) Acts supplies notices of times and places of prayer. St. Peter observes the sixth hour (Ac 10*), and he and St. .John go up to the temple at the ninth hour, which is described as the hour of prayer (Ac 3'). It is probable that the g'atherinjj described in Ac 2' was for worship, and this is fixed by 2" as having taken place at the third hour, so we have recognition of all the three Jewish hours of prayer.
In tlie matter of prayer, as in most other exter- nal matters, the Christian body remained at first
lan' they were only a new sect (ai'peiris) of Judaism. They had their private worship (Ac "i*-), but they did not on that account forsake the temple ; and it is possible that they still attended the syna- gogues, though there is no evidence on this point beyond the practice of St. Paul on his missionary journej's (in which case he had a special object in view), and J a 2^ (where 'synagogue' may mean a distinctively Christian assembly, cf. He lO'-^). But with reganl to the private worship of Christians, there is ample evidence in Acts, e.g. i'^-^ where the actual prayer used is recorded, and 12'- the assembly for prayer in the house of Marj- the mother of Mark. Two farewell prayers from St. Paul's life may be added — the one at Miletus with tears and embraces (Ac 20^*), the other on the beach at Tyre (Ac 21°). In both these cases they knelt in prayer. Kneeling is also the attitude of St. Stephen (Ac 7*), St. Peter (Ac G"), and St. Paul (Eph S"). On (he other hand, our Lord's words had authorized standing to pray (Mk ll'-^).
(2) Fulfilment of prayer. — Acts is remarkably strong in its testimony on this point. There are : the release of St. Peter (Ac 12), the sending of St. Peter to Cornelius (10'), the preservation of the crew and passengers who sailed with St. Paul (27-*). And there are the cases in which prayer is recorded as the means of working miracles (9" 28'). Passing to the Epp. we may take here the great instance of non-fullilment of believing prayer, the thrice-repeated prayer of St. Paul to be delivered from the thorn in the flesh (2 Co 12'*- "). Yet the prayer was not frustrate ; what was granted waa the power to rejoice in the infirmity.
(3) Prayer in connexion loith laying on of hands. — In Acts there are mentioned three more or less distinct uses of the laying on of hands : (o) in heal- ing as by Ananias (9"), St. Paul (28») ; (,3) as a complement to baptism by St. Peter and St. John at Samaria (8") and St. Paul at Ephesus (19«); (7) on appointment to ministries (6' 13'). Now in each of these three classes of instances, though not in every instance, there is a distinct mention of praj-er, as though to show that those who use the form are not in possession of the gift so as to transfer it at their will, but rather have authority to ask for it to be given. See, further, art. Laying o>f OF Hands.