The more and more we learn about and of God the more we will trust Him with our deepest thoughts and desires, and the more we read His word and understand His will and purpose for our lives the more our prayers will model the example of Christ who sought that His every moment would be spent doing the will of His Father. We meditate on His mercy to sinners, because we is one, and we praise His precious name for in it we have the perfection of His love.
Today’s a big one. Four questions seems like a lot, and it is. However, they are all tied into something which is very important for us to realize as we grow in faith and use prayer for its intended purpose. Pray is service unto the Triune God. That being the case each of the members of the Trinity play a role in the power of prayer and in its success, at least as we measure that.
Due to the fact we have so many we won’t bother with a lot of introductory stuff and just get right to reading the Q/A’s for today:
Q. 179. Are we to pray unto God only?
A. God only being able to search the hearts, hear the requests, pardon the sins, and fulfil the desires of all; and only to be believed in, and worshipped with religious worship; prayer, which is a special part thereof, is to be made by all to him alone, and to none other.
Q. 180. What is it to pray in the name of Christ?
A. To pray in the name of Christ is, in obedience to his command, and in confidence on his promises, to ask mercy for his sake; not by bare mentioning of his name, but by drawing our encouragement to pray, and our boldness, strength, and hope of acceptance in prayer, from Christ and his mediation.
Q. 181. Why are we to pray in the name of Christ?
A. The sinfulness of man, and his distance from God by reason thereof, being so great, as that we can have no access into his presence without a mediator; and there being one in heaven or earth appointed to, or fit for, that glorious work but Christ alone, we are to pray in no other name but his only.
Q. 182. How doth the Spirit help us to pray?
We not knowing what to pray for as we ought, the Spirit helps our infirmities, by enabling us to understand both for whom, and what, and how prayer is to be made; and by working and quickening in our hearts (although not in all persons, nor at all times, in the same measure) those apprehensions, affections, and graces which are requisite for the right performance of that duty.