Leo Tolstoy Archive
Written: 1908
Source: From RevoltLib.com
Transcription/Markup: Andy Carloff
Online Source: RevoltLib.com; 2021
Once Jesus left the disciples and began to pray. And when he finished, the disciples approached him and asked, “Teacher, teach us to pray.” And he said to them: “First of all, make sure you pray not as it is often done – for people to see you and praise for it. If it is done that way, it is done for people, and so the reward comes from people. But there is no benefit for your soul from such prayer. However, if you want to pray, go to such place where nobody would see you, and there pray to your Father, and your Father will give you what you need for your soul. And when you pray, do not tell more than you need to. Your Father knows what you need, and even if you won’t say everything, he will give you everything that you need to your soul. First of all, pray for the Spirit of God in us to be hallowed; for the Kingdom of God to come into our soul; for us to live not by our own will, but by the will of God; for us not to wish superfluous but only our daily food; so that our Father would help us to forgive the sins of our brothers, and so that He would help us get rid of temptations and evil. Let your prayer be as this: ‘Our Father, who are in heaven! Hallowed be your name; your kingdom come; your will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us each day our daily bread; and forgive us our sins, just as we forgive all those who have sinned against us; and deliver us from temptation and evil.’ That is how you need to pray, but if you want to pray, first think about whether you have grudge in your heart against anyone, and if you remember that you are in disagreement with somebody, then first of all go and make peace with whom you are in conflict, and if you can't find that person then eliminate the grudge in your own heart against him, and only after that you can pray. Only then your prayer will benefit you. (Luke 11, 1; Matthew 6, 5-13; Luke 11, 25-26; Matthew 5, 23-24).
Questions:
1) Who and when asked Christ about the prayer?
2) What way Christ did not recommend to pray?
3) Why you should not to pray that way?
4) Where and how one needs to pray?
5) What a prayer brings?
6) Why should you not say too much in prayer?
7) What do you need to pray for in the first place?
8) What is 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th to pray for?
9) What are the words of the prayer?
10) What should you do before praying?