On prayer and the contemplative life · Aquinas, Saint Thomas
3. Once more, it is unlawful for a man to transgress the limits which
Chapter 47 of 107 · 1 min read
God Himself has fixed, especially in matters which touch the Divine worship, according to the words: Charge the people lest they should have a mind to pass the limits to see the Lord, and a very great multitude of them should perish. But God Himself has assigned limits to our prayer by instituting the Lord's Prayer, as is evident from the words: Thus shalt thou pray. Hence we ought not to extend our prayer beyond these limits.
But our Lord did not institute this prayer with a view to tying us down exclusively to these words when we pray, but to show us that the scope of our prayer should be limited to asking only for the things contained in it, whatever form of words we may use or whatever may be our thoughts.
