[What Sort of People Ought to Pray that Prayer that Was Given by the Lord.]

XXIV. Now, “when ye pray, be not ye as the hypocrites;”  109  Acts xv. 13, etc. Acts xv. 13, etc. but as the Lord has appointed us in the Gospel, so pray ye: “Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for Thine is the kingdom for ever. Amen.”  110  [Compare Elucidation III. vol. v. p. 411, this series.] [Compare Elucidation III. vol. v. p. 411, this series.] Pray thus thrice in a day, preparing yourselves beforehand, that ye may be worthy of the adoption of the Father; lest, when you call Him Father unworthily, you be reproached by Him, as Israel once His first-born son was told: “If I be a Father, where is my glory? And if I be a Lord, where is my fear?”  111  Acts xv. 23, etc. Acts xv. 23, etc. For the glory of fathers is the holiness of their children, and the honour of masters is the fear of their servants, as the contrary is dishonour and confusion. For says He: “Through you my name is blasphemed among the Gentiles.”  112  Matt. xxiv. 12, 13. Matt. xxiv. 12, 13.

[24] Ὅταν δὲ προσεύχησθε, μὴ γίνεσθε ὥσπερ οἱ ὑποκριταί, ἀλλ' ὡς ὁ Κύριος ἡμῖν ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ διετάξατο, οὕτως προσεύχεσθε: »Πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου, ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου, γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου ὡς ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῶν τὸν ἐπιούσιον δὸς ἡμῖν σήμερον, καὶ ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰ ὀφειλήματα ἡμῶν, ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀφίεμεν τοῖς ὀφειλέταις ἡμῶν, καὶ μὴ εἰσενέγκῃς ἡμᾶς εἰς πειρασμόν, ἀλλὰ ῥῦσαι ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ, ὅτι σοῦ ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία καὶ ἡ δύναμις καὶ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας: ἀμήν.« Τρὶς τῆς ἡμέρας οὕτως προσεύχεσθε, προπαρασκευάζοντες ἑαυτοὺς ἀξίους τῆς υἱοθεσίας τοῦ Πατρός, ἵνα μή, ἀναξίως ὑμῶν αὐτὸν Πατέρα καλούντων, ὀνειδισθῆτε ὑπ' αὐτοῦ, ὡς καὶ Ἰσραὴλ ὅ ποτε πρωτότοκος υἱὸς ἤκουσεν, ὅτι »Εἰ Πατήρ εἰμι ἐγώ, ποῦ ἐστιν ἡ δόξα μου; Καὶ εἰ Κύριός εἰμι, ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ φόβος μου;« Δόξα γὰρ πατέρων ὁσιότης παίδων, καὶ τιμὴ δεσποτῶν οἰκετῶν φόβος, ὥσπερ οὖν τὸ ἐναντίον ἀδοξία καὶ ἀναρχία: »Δι' ὑμᾶς γάρ, φησίν, τὸ ὄνομά μου βλασφημεῖται ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν.«