2 Samuel 7:28
A Bold Spirit
Our prayers depend on no merit of our own, but all their worth and hope of success are founded and depend on the promises of God, so that they need no other support and require not to look up and down on this hand and on that. It must therefore be fixed in our minds that though we equal not the glorified sanctity of patriarchs, prophets, and apostles, the command to pray is common to us as well as them; and faith is common, so if we lean on the Word of God, we are in respect of this privilege their associates.
For God’s declaring, that he will listen and be favorable to all encourages the most wretched to hope that they shall obtain what they ask. Accordingly, we should attend to the general forms of expression, which exclude none from first to last: only let there be sincerity of heart, self-dissatisfaction, humility, and faith, that we may not, by the hypocrisy of a deceitful prayer, profane the name of God. Our most merciful Father will not reject those whom he not only encourages to come but also urges in every possible way. Hence David’s prayer: “And now, O Lord God, thou art that God, and thy words be true, and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servant, that it may continue forever before thee.” Also, in another passage, “Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant” (Psalm 119:76).
Whatever be the pretexts which unbelievers employ, when they do not flee to God as often as necessity urges, nor seek after him, nor implore his aid, they defraud him of his due honor just as much as if they were fabricating to themselves new gods and idols, since in this way they deny that God is the author of all their blessings. On the contrary, nothing more effectually frees pious minds from every doubt than to be armed with the thought that no obstacle should impede them while they are obeying the command of God, who declares that nothing is more grateful to him than obedience. A bold spirit in prayer well accords with fear, reverence, and anxiety.
Readings taken from Day by Day With John Calvin
A Bold Spirit
Our prayers depend on no merit of our own, but all their worth and hope of success are founded and depend on the promises of God, so that they need no other support and require not to look up and down on this hand and on that. It must therefore be fixed in our minds that though we equal not the glorified sanctity of patriarchs, prophets, and apostles, the command to pray is common to us as well as them; and faith is common, so if we lean on the Word of God, we are in respect of this privilege their associates.
For God’s declaring, that he will listen and be favorable to all encourages the most wretched to hope that they shall obtain what they ask. Accordingly, we should attend to the general forms of expression, which exclude none from first to last: only let there be sincerity of heart, self-dissatisfaction, humility, and faith, that we may not, by the hypocrisy of a deceitful prayer, profane the name of God. Our most merciful Father will not reject those whom he not only encourages to come but also urges in every possible way. Hence David’s prayer: “And now, O Lord God, thou art that God, and thy words be true, and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servant, that it may continue forever before thee.” Also, in another passage, “Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant” (Psalm 119:76).
Whatever be the pretexts which unbelievers employ, when they do not flee to God as often as necessity urges, nor seek after him, nor implore his aid, they defraud him of his due honor just as much as if they were fabricating to themselves new gods and idols, since in this way they deny that God is the author of all their blessings. On the contrary, nothing more effectually frees pious minds from every doubt than to be armed with the thought that no obstacle should impede them while they are obeying the command of God, who declares that nothing is more grateful to him than obedience. A bold spirit in prayer well accords with fear, reverence, and anxiety.
Readings taken from Day by Day With John Calvin
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