Monday, July 27, 2009

With sincere affection of heart

Calvin's Institutes (1559)
Book 3 of 4 - How We Receive the Grace of Christ

Chapter 20 - Prayer as exercise of faith and way we receive God's benefits
Sections 4-16 - Rules of prayer
Sections 6-7 - Pray from your lack, and with penitence
6. Pray knowing your own insufficiency, and with an earnest, sincere desire for what you ask, not to get through a duty or to appease God.
7. We pray according to felt need - James 5:13; Ps 32:6; 94:19. But we also pray without ceasing - Eph 6:18; 1 Thess 5:17. Lawful prayer requires repentance, since we are always in need of forgiveness - Ps 145:18; Jer 29:13-14; John 9:31; Prov 15:8; 21:27; 28:9; Isa 1:15; 29: 13; Jer 11:7, 8, 11; James 4:3; 1 John 3:22.

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