Words fail to explain how necessary prayer is, and in how many ways the exercise of prayer is profitable. It is therefore by the benefit of prayer that we reach those riches which are laid up for us with the heavenly Father. - John Calvin from Book 3 of The Institutes of the Christian Religion
John Calvin gets a bad rap in my opinion. So many people present him as a cold intellectual who was only interested in formulating doctrines about depravity and election. The caricature of him is that he was almost unfeeling. And yet while his theological acumen is significant, it is not all that motivated Calvin. He had a great personal devotion to God, set forth in the symbol used to represent him, a heart on fire being presented to God. Even his magisterial work, The Institutes of Christian Religion, started out as a small manual of instruction in doctrine and piety that missionaries going into the hostile environment of France (Calvin’s homeland) could carry concealed in their clothing.
We can see an example of this concern for piety in the Institutes, Book 3, chapter 20, where Calvin addresses prayer. In light of our recent encouragement from Pastor Don about prayer, here is a summary of that chapter provided by Stephen Nichols. (Do not be put off by the word ‘rules’. Think more in lines of what a plan of prayer might look like)
Calvin then turns to what he calls the rules for right prayer. He lists five rules; the first is to come before God with reverence. This is how we frame prayer—we recognize who God is; we revere Him; and in light of who He is, we recognize who we are.
The second rule of prayer is to pray out of insufficiency. It's very simple: we ask because we need. Prayer is a constant reminder of our utter dependence on God and of God's all-sufficiency for us.
The third rule is to come pleading mercy. We don't deserve anything—this is the posture that Calvin wants us to take. We don't deserve anything before God; it is His sheer good pleasure and mercy to extend to us these blessings and benefits and to answer our prayers.
Calvin's fourth rule is to pray with confident hope. We should be encouraged that God answers prayer. If we are living in tune with the Spirit, reading God's Word, and praying in accordance with Scripture, then we can be assured that God hears our prayers and that He will answer our prayers.
The fifth rule is to pray in Jesus' name. Jesus is our intercessor, our mediator. He's not only our High Priest who sat down after completing the work of redemption; He's our High Priest who stands up and ever intercedes for us before the Father's throne. This is what Calvin says about praying in the name of Jesus and recognizing Jesus as our intercessor: "For as soon as God's dread majesty comes to mind, we cannot but tremble and be driven far away by the recognition of our own unworthiness, until Christ comes forward as intermediary to change the throne of dreadful glory into the throne of grace." So, as the biblical author tells us, "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace" (Heb. 4:16).
Saints, because God has drawn near to us through the work of Jesus Christ, let us draw near to him in prayer. Let us not neglect this great benefit we have as his sons and daughters to come before the throne of grace. And let us do so with boldness knowing we are coming to one who delights in us and will give us mercy and grace to help in time of need.
