2. Graces to Be Desired

The principal use of the Lord's prayer, is to direct God's church in making their prayers in all places, at all times, and upon all occasions, though their prayers should be innumerable: and unless they be framed after this prayer, they cannot be acceptable to God. In the using of it for direction there are three things required. 1. The first is the knowledge of the Lord's prayer, and all the parts thereof. He that would pray by it, must understand the meaning thereof, the wants therein to be bewailed, and the graces to be desired, for which end it has been expounded. 2. Knowing this, there is in the second place required thus much skill, that he be able to refer every want and grace to one of the six petitions: for example, feeling in himself pride of heart, he must be able to say, this is a want in the first petition: and feeling a rebellion and slowness in doing God's commandments, he must be able to say, this is a sin to be prayed against in the third petition. Thus every want he must refer to its proper head: again, he must refer every grace to be desired to one of the six petitions: as strength in temptation to the sixth: confidence in God's providence to the fourth: knowledge of God to the first, etc. And so in the rest. 3. In the third place, he must before he pray, consider what his wants and imperfections are which most trouble him, as also the graces which he would obtain: then for the helping of his memory, he must go to the petitions, and he must set those things first in his mind, which concern the first petition: and those which concern the second petition, must have the second place in his mind, and so he must proceed in order as he shall have occasion. Thus a man keeping in mind the order of the petitions as they stand, shall be able by referring every grace and want to its proper head, to make distinct prayer: and to vary it as time, place, and other occasions shall move him.

Question: Must we of necessity follow all the petitions in conceiving a prayer? Answer: No, but only those which do principally belong to the time, place, and occasion, as Paul makes a prayer (Colossians 1:9-10). And all the points of it may be referred to the third and last petitions.

Again, a Christian may make an excellent confession of his sins by this prayer: if he shall, keeping the order of the petitions, confess and bewail the sins which every petition requires us to pray against. And it serves to make a thanksgiving to God, thus: let a man remember all the graces which he has received from God, let him then refer them to the petitions, and give thanks to God after the order of them, turning every petition into a thanksgiving.