PRAYERS FOR CHILDREN. 327 to God ? Answer. To pray, is to ask the great and merciful God.to bestow on me the good things which I want. 2. Q. But doth prayer mean no more than this ? A. Prayer sometimes signifies our speaking. to God in a religious manner, about any thing that concerns either him or us, or the rest of his creatures. - 3. Q. What are the chief parts of prayer ? A. The chief parts of prayer are these eight, viz. Invocation, adoration, con- fession, petition, pleading, self-resignation, thanksgiving, and blessing; all which are contained in this short verse : " Cali upon God, adore, confess, Petition, plead, and then declare .. You are the Lord's, give thanks, and bless, And let Amen conclude the prayer." 4. Q. What do you mean by invocation ? A. Invocation is a calling upon God, or beginning to speak to him, by some of his most holy names or titles, such as, " O Lord God. Al- mighty God, my Maker and my Governor. Most holy and most gracious Lord our God. Most merciful Father. Our Father who art in heaven. O Lord most high and most holy. The Creator of heaven and earth. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in and through him our God and our Father." 5. Q. What is adoration, or the second part of prayer ? A. To adore God, is to think highly of him, and to speak hum- bly to him of the high esteem whichwe have of his nature and of his works. ß. Q. How must we adore God on the account of his na- ture ? A. By making mention of some of the attributes or per- fections of his nature, such as his greatness, his power, his wis- dom, his holiness and justice, hisgoodness, and the rest. 7. Q. Can you give me some instances of all these ? A. First, IfI adore his greatness,I say, " Thou art very great, and greatly to be feared. Thou art high above all our thoughts. There is none like thee, there is none can compare with thee. Thy glory reaches above the heavens. All creatures are as nothing before thee. Thy thoughts are high above our thoughts, as the heavens are above the earth."Secondly, If I adore his power, I say, " Thou art Almighty, and canst do what thou pleasest in the upper and the lower worlds. Thou art ,able to do far above what we can ask or think. If thou wilt work none shall hinder. Who can resist thy hand? Who can lift uphim- self against God and prosper ? " Thirdly, If I adore his wis- dom, I say, " Thou art the oily wise God, excellent in counsel, and wonderful in working. Thy ways are unsearchable, and thy judgments are a great deep. All things are known to thee, even the secret thoughts of our hearts. Thou seest us at all
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