- #GC241 How will you prove that Since God is Spirit, He always requires the heart, and especially in prayer, in which we enter into communication with Him, wherefore He promises to be near to those only who call upon Him in truth (Ps 145:18). On the other hand, He curses all who pray to Him in hypocrisy, and without affection? (Isa 29:13, 14).
- #GC242 All prayers, then, made only with the mouth are vain? Not only vain, but also displeasing to God.
- #GC243 What kind of affection should we have in prayer? First, that we feel our misery and poverty, and that this feeling should beget sorrow and anguish in us. Secondly, that we have an earnest desire to obtain grace from God. This desire will also kindle...
- #GC244 Does this derive from our nature, or from the grace of God? Here God must come to our aid, for we are too dull, but the Spirit of God helps us with groanings that cannot be uttered, and forms in our hearts the affection and zeal that God requires, as Paul says...
- #GC245 Does this mean that we have not to incite and urge ourselves to pray? By no means. On the contrary, when we do not feel such a disposition within us we should beseech the Lord to put it into us, so as to make us capable and fit to pray as we ought.
- #GC246 You do not, however, mean that the tongue is quite useless in prayer? Not at all, for sometimes it helps the mind, sustaining and keeping it from being drawn away from God so easily. Besides, since more than all the other members it was formed to the glory of God, it is...
- #GC247 If so, what about prayer in an unknown tongue? It is a mockery of God, and a perverse hypocrisy (1Co 14:14).
- #GC248 But when we pray to God, is it a venture in which we do not know whether we will succeed or not Or ought we to be certain that our praying will be heard? The ground of our prayers should always be, that they will received by God, and that we shall obtain what we request as far is it is expedient for us. And therefore St. Paul says that true prayer come...
- #GC249 And what of those who doubt, not knowing if God hears or not? Their prayers are utterly void, since they have no promise, for He says that whatever we ask, believing, we shall receive (Mat 21:22; Mark 11:24).
- #GC250 It remains to learn how and in whose name we can have the boldness to present ourselves before God, seeing that we are so unworthy in ourselves? First we have promises on which we must rest, without considering our worthiness (Ps 50:15; 91:3; 145:18; Isa 30:15; 65:24; Jer 29:12; Joel 3:5). Secondly, if we are children of God, He induces and ur...
- #GC251 Do you understand that we are to call upon God only, in the Name of Jesus Christ? I understand so, for we have an express commandment about this. And in it we are promised that by His intercession our requests will be heard (John 14:13).
- #GC252 It is not, then, temerity or foolish presumption on our part, if we presume to address God personally, seeing that we have Jesus Christ for our? Advocate, and if we set Him before us, that God may for His sake be gracious to us and accept us No, for we pray as it were by His mouth, since He gives us entrance and audience, and intercedes for us...
- #GC253 Let us now speak of the substance of our prayers. Can we ask for all that comes into our mind, or is there a certain rule to be observed about it? If we followed our fantasy, our prayers would be very badly ordered. We are so ignorant that we cannot judge what it is good to ask: Moreover, all our desires are so intemperate that it is necessary t...
- #GC254 What is to be done, then? That God Himself should instruct us, according to what He knows to be expedient; that we do nothing but follow Him, as if He were leading us by the hand.
- #GC255 What instructions has He given? He has given us ample instructions throughout Scripture; but that we may address ourselves the better to a definite end, He has given us a form in which He has briefly comprehended everything that is...
- #GC256 Repeat it? Our Lord Jesus Christ, being asked by His Disciples to teach them how to pray, answered that they should pray thus (Mat 6:9-13; Luke 11:1-4): "Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed by thy name. Th...
- #GC257 To make it easier to understand, tell me how many sentences it contains? Six, of which the first three concern the glory of God alone, without any reference to ourselves; the other three are for us, and concern our blessing and profit.
- #GC258 Are we then to ask God for anything from which no benefit redounds to us? It is true that God, by His infinite goodness, so arranges and orders things, that nothing tends to the glory of His Name without being also salutary to us. Therefore, when His name is sanctified, He...
- #GC259 According to what you say, the first three of these requests are expedient for us, and yet they ought not to be made with any other intention that of desiring that God may be glorified? It is so. And similarly, although the last three requests are appointed as prayers for what is expedient to us, yet even in them we ought to seek the glory of God, so that it may be the end of all our...
- #GC260 Let us come to the exposition. And before we go any further, why is? God called our Father, rather than by some other name Since it is essential that our consciences have a steadfast assurance, when we pray, our God gives Himself a name. which suggests only gentleness...
- #GC261 Shall we then dare to go to God familiarly, as a child to his father? Yes, in fact with greater assurance of obtaining what we ask. For if we, being evil, cannot refuse our children bread and meat, when they ask, how much less will our heavenly Father, who is not only g...
- #GC262 Can we not prove from this very Name, what has been said, viz. that prayer should be grounded on the intercession of Jesus Christ? Yes, certainly. For God does not acknowledge us as His children, except in so far as we are members of His Son.
- #GC263 Why do you not call God your God, but call Him our Father together? Each believer may indeed call Him his own Father, but in this formula Jesus Christ instructs us to pray together, to remind us that in our prayers we are to exercise charity towards our neighbours, an...
- #GC264 What is meant by the clause "who art in heaven" It is just the same as if I were to call Him exalted, mighty, incomprehensible.
- #GC265 To what end, and for what reason? That when we call upon Him, we may learn to lift our thoughts on high, and not to have any carnal or earthly thoughts of Him, not to measure Him by our apprehension, nor to subject Him to our will, bu...
- #GC266 Now expound the first petition? The Name of God is His renown, with which He is celebrated among men. We pray then that His glory may be exalted above all, and in all things.
- #GC267 Do you think that His glory can increase or decrease? Not in itself. But this means that it may be manifested, as it ought to be, that all the works which God performs may appear glorious, as indeed they are, so that He Himself may be glorified in every...
- #GC268 What do you understand by the Kingdom of God in the second petition? It consists principally of two things: that He leads His own, and governs them by His Spirit, and on the other hand casts down and confounds the reprobate who refuse to subject themselves to His rule,...
- #GC269 In what sense do you pray that this Kingdom may come? That day by day the Lord may increase the numbers of the faithful, that day by day He may increasingly bestow His graces upon them, until He has filled them completely; moreover, that He cause His tru...
- #GC270 Is that not taking place today? Yes indeed---in part, but we pray that it may continually increase and advance, until at last it comes to its perfection in the day of judgment, in which God alone will be exalted, and ever creature w...
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