"...Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints..."  Ephesians 6:18

"Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, 'Lord, teach us to pray,'..."  Luke 11:1 

“Prayer is the chief exercise of faith and by which we daily receive God's benefits.”
John Calvin, The Institutes, Book 3, Chapter 20.

New City Catechism Question 38
Q: What is prayer?

A: Prayer is pouring out our hearts to God in praise, petition, confession of sin, and thanksgiving.


“We dig up by prayer the treasures that were pointed out by the Lord's gospel, and which our faith has gazed upon.”
John Calvin, The Institutes, 20-3-2

CONSIDERATIONS:

1. By prayer, we call forth the empowering presence of the Lord and tap into His goodness.

"One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to GAZE upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.
For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock."  Psalm 27:4-5

“For in Christ He offers all happiness in place of our misery, all wealth in place of our neediness; in him he opens to us the heavenly treasures that our whole faith may contemplate His beloved Son, our whole expectation depend upon him, and our whole hope cleave to and rest in him. This is that secret and hidden philosophy but they whose eyes God has opened surely learn it by heart, that in his light they may see light (Ps 36:9).”
John Calvin, The Institutes 3.20, 1

“The power through which He sustains us, calms us in our weakness…and offers goodness, through which He receives us…It is by prayer that we call Him to reveal Himself as wholly present to us.”
John Calvin, The Institutes 20-3-2

2. Because of the mediatorial work of Christ, we have an “all-access pass” to the trinitarian throne room (Hebrews 4:14-16).

“We see that to us nothing is promised to be experienced from the Lord, which we are not also called to ask of him in prayers. So true, is it that we dig up by prayer the treasures that were pointed out by the Lord's gospel, and which our faith has gazed upon.”
John Calvin, The Institutes 3-20-2

"For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time."  1 Timothy 2:5-6

"Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died-more than that, who was raised-who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us."  Romans 8:34

3. The kingly rule of God (sovereignty and prayer).

“It is important for him (and for us) to believe that the Bible teaches that God is all-knowing, good, and sovereign, and that He works all things according to His perfect will. And it is important to know that in the Bible, God repeatedly assures us that He will hear and answer our prayers. Logically, one cannot have it both ways, but, according to Calvin, scripturally we can.”  David B. Calhoun, The Theological Guide to Calvin's Institutes, p. 352-353

4. Pray the scriptures, especially the Psalms.

5. Prayer, worship, and singing.

Calvin's Four Rules for Right Praying:

• Careful thought and deep devotion (reverence)

• Repentance and a sense of need.
“Prayer is the genuine cry of the human heart for help in the midst of circumstances that cannot be met by merely human resources.” John Calvin.

• Humility and repentance.
“To sum up: the beginning and even the preparation of proper prayer is the plea for pardon with a humble and sincere confession of guilt.”  Institutes 3.20.9

•Confident hope.
“If we would pray fruitfully, we ought therefore to grasp with both hands this assurance of obtaining what we ask…or only that prayer is acceptable to God, which is grounded in the unshaking assurance of hope.” (Institutes 3.20.12)

APPLICATION:

1. Pray at predetermined, stated times.

2. Pray scripture.

3. Avail yourself of the opportunities of prayer in your church.

4. Please note that we have 9:00AM prayer time in the Welcome Center every Sunday morning and Churchwide prayer on the first Tuesday of each month at 6:00PM.