The Scofield Bible Commentary, by Cyrus Ingerson Scofield, [1917], at sacred-texts.com
teach us to pray
This is the central New Testament passage on prayer. In the Sermon on the Mount Christ had announced the new basis of prayer, namely: relationship (Mat 6:9); (Mat 6:28-32). The believer is a child of God through the new birth.
(See Scofield) - (Joh 3:3).
The clear revelation of this fact at once establishes the reasonableness of prayer; a reasonableness against which the argument from the apparent uniformity of natural law shatters itself. God is more than a Creator, bringing a universe into being, and establishing laws for it; more than a decree-maker determining future events by an eternal fiat. Above all this is the divine family for whom the universe with its laws exists; (Col 1:16-20); (Heb 1:2); (Heb 2:10); (Heb 2:11); (Rom 8:17).
When ye pray, say, Our Father." What God habitually does in the material universe concerns the reverent investigator of that universe. What He may do in His own family concerns Him, and them, and is matter for divine promise and revelation. Science, which deals only with natural phenomena, cannot intrude there (Co1 2:9).
Christ's law of prayer may be thus summarized:
(1) He grounds prayer upon relationship, and reveals God as freely charging himself with all the responsibilities, as His heart glows with all the affections of a Father toward all who believe on Jesus Christ (Mat 6:25); (Mat 6:32); (Mat 7:9-11). Prayer, therefore, is a child's petition to an all-wise, all-loving, and all-powerful, Father-God.
(2) In the so-called Lord's prayer Christ gives an incomparable model for all prayer. It teaches that right prayer begins with worship; puts the interest of the kingdom before merely personal interest; accepts beforehand the Father's will, whether to grant or withhold; and petitions for present need, leaving the future to the Father's care and love. Used as a form, the Lord's prayer is, dispensationally, upon legal, not church ground; it is not a prayer in the name of Christ (cf) (Joh 14:13); (Joh 14:14); (Joh 16:24) and it makes human forgiveness, as under the law it must, the condition of divine forgiveness; an order which grace exactly reverses (compare Eph 4:32).
(3) Prayer is to be definite (Luk 11:5); (Luk 11:6) and,
(4) importunate, that is undiscouraged by delayed answers.
Thy kingdom
(See Scofield) - (Mat 3:2).
day by day
Or, for the day.
forgive
(See Scofield) - (Mat 6:12).
sins
Sin
(See Scofield) - (Rom 3:23).
give
It is evident that none of the disciples, with the possible exception of Mary of Bethany, asked for the Spirit in the faith of this promise. It was a new and staggering thing to a Jew that, in advance of the fulfilment of (Joe 2:28); (Joe 2:29) all might receive the Spirit. Mary alone of the disciples understood Christ's repeated declaration concerning His own death and resurrection (Joh 12:3-7). Save Mary, not one of the disciples but Peter, and he only in the great confession (Mat 16:16) manifested a spark of spiritual intelligence till after the resurrection of Christ and the impartation of the Spirit; (Joh 20:22); (Act 2:1-4). To go back to the promise of (Luk 11:13); is to forget Pentecost, and to ignore the truth that now every believer has the indwelling Spirit; (Rom 8:9); (Rom 8:15); (Co1 6:19); (Gal 4:6); (Jo1 2:20); (Jo1 2:27).
(See Scofield) - (Act 2:4).
the Son of man
(See Scofield) - (Mat 8:20).
lawyers
(See Scofield) - (Mat 22:35).