Collected Sermons, prayer
A SERMON OF D. MARTIN LVTHER OF PRAYER.
THat prayer may be good in deede, and may alſo be heard, we muſt firſt conſider that two thinges are neceſſarie thereunto: one,The promiſe of God is firſt to be conſidered of in prayer. that we firſt meditate vponupon the promiſe of God, and doe as it were aduertize God thereof, and truſting vntounto it, be emboldned and made cheerefull to pray: for vnles God had commaunded vsus to pray, and had promiſed alſo that he will heare vsus, euen all creatures could not obtayne ſo much as a grayne by their petitions. Whereupon it followeth, that no man doth obtayne any thinge of God for his owne worthines, or the worthines of his prayer, but by the onelyonly goodnes of God, who preuenting all our petitions and deſires, prouoketh vsus to pray and deſire of him, by his gentle and bounteous promiſe and commaundement, that we may learne howe great care he hath ouer vsus, and is ready to giuegive vsus moe thinges, then we durſt enterpriſe to aſke, and that we may alſo learne to pray boldely, inaſmuch as he giueth vsus all thinges euen in more ample maner then we doe aſke them.We muſt no thing doute of the promiſe of God in prayer. It is neceſſarie that we doe no whit doute of the promiſe of the true and faythfull God, for therefore he hath promiſed that he will heare vsus, yea and hath commaunded vsus to pray, that we might hauehave a ſure and ſtronge fayth, that our prayer ſhall be ſo heard, as he ſayth Matth. 21. and Marke 11: VVhatſoeuer ye shall aske in prayer, if ye beleeue, ye shall receyue it. And in Luke chapt. 11: And I ſay vntounto you, Aske, and it shall be giuen you: ſeeke, and ye shall finde: knocke, and it shall be opened vntounto you. For eueryevery one that asketh, receiueth: and he that ſeeketh, findeth: and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a ſonne shall aske bread of any of you that is a father, will ye giuegive him a ſtone? or if he aske a fish, will ye for a fish, giuegive him a ſerpent? or if he aske an egge, will ye giuegive him a ſcorpion? If ye then vvhichwhich are euill, can giuegive good giftes vntounto your children, how much more shall your heauenly Father giuegive the holy Ghoſt to them that deſire him? We muſt boldly truſt to theſe, and ſuch like promiſes and commaundements, and pray with true confidence.
He that douteth of the promiſes of God in praier, committeth a double ſinne.If one ſo prayeth, that he dout whether God heare him, and maketh his prayer onelyonly at aduenture, caring not greatly whether it be hearde or not hearde: he committeth a double offence: One, for that he him ſelfe maketh his praier fruſtrate, and laboureth in vaine. For ſo Iames ſayth chap. 1: He that vvill aske of the Lord let him aske in faith, and vvauer not: for he that vvauereth, is like a vvaue of the ſea, toſt of the vvinde, and caried avvay, let not that man thinke that he shall receiue any thinge of the Lord. Such a mans hart is not quiet & ſetled, wherefore God can giuegive him nothing. But faith maketh the hart quiet, and capable of the gifts of God. The other offence is, that he counteth the moſt faithfull and true God, as a lying, vaine, and vnconſtant man, as he which neither is able, neither will fulfill his promiſes, ſo by his douting he robbeth God of his honour, & name of faithfulnes, and truth. Whereby it is ſo grieuouſly offended, that euen that offence being committed, a Chriſtian is plainly chaunged into an Heathen, and denieth and loſeth his true God, ſo that if he continue therein, he is damned for euer without all comfort. And if any thing be giuen vntounto him, which he aſketh, it is giuen him not to good, but to euill, as well temporall as eternall, not for his prayers ſake, but from the wrath of God, that he may recompenſe thoſe goodly wordes, which are vttered in ſinnes, vnbeleefe, and to the diſhonour of God.
We muſt not therefore dout in our prayers for that we be vnworthy.Some ſay: I would truſt in deede that my prayers ſhould be heard, if I were worthy, or if I could pray well. Then, ſay I, if thou wilt not pray, before thou ſhalt knowe and finde thy ſelfe fit to pray, that thou ſhalt neuer pray. For as it is before ſayde, our prayer muſt not reſt vponupon our worthines, or the worthines of it ſelfe, or be grounded thereon, but vponupon the immutable truth of the promiſe of God. If ſo be that it truſt to it ſelfe or any other thing, and ground it ſelfe thereon, it is falſe, and deceiueth thee, albeit thy hart ſhould euen be burſt by reaſon of the ardent affection of godlines, and thou ſhouldeſt weepe nothing but dropps of blood. For therefore we pray, becauſe we are vnworthy to pray, and hereby ſurely we are made worthy to pray, and fit to be heard, inaſmuch as we thinke that we are vnworthy,How we are made worthy to be heard in prayer. and doe boldly and cheerefully truſt to the faithfulnes and truth of God. Although thou be vnworthy, yet hauehave regard hereunto, and marke moſt diligently, that a thouſand times more conſiſteth in this, that thou honour the truth of God, and not with thy doutfulnes accuſe his faithfull promiſe of falſhood. For thy owne worthines doth not further thee, neither thy vnworthines hinder thee: but infidelitie doth condemne thee, truſt and confidence maketh thee worthy & preſerueth thee. Wherefore ſo behaue thy ſelfe all thy life long, that thou doe not at any time eſteeme thy ſelfe either worthy or fit to pray or receiue, vnles thou finde thy ſelfe to be ſuch a one, as dareth enterpriſe the matter freely, truſting to the true and certaine promiſe of thy mercifull God, which will ſo ſhewe both his mercy and goodnes vntounto thee, that as he promiſed to heare thee being vnworthy, and hauing not deſerued it, of his meere grace, moued with no prayers: ſo he will heare thee being an vnworthy aſker, of his onelyonly grace, to the honour of his truth and promiſe, that ſo thou mayſt giuegive thankes, not to thy owne worthines, but to his truth, wherby he hath fulfilled his promiſe, and to his mercy, whereby he hath made and ſet forth his promiſe. And this the 25 Pſalme confirmeth, where Dauid ſayth: Gracious and righteous is the Lord, therefore vvill he teach ſinners in the vvay. He vvill guide the meeke in iudgement, and teach the humble his vvay. All the pathes of the Lord are mercy and truth, vntounto ſuch as keepe his couenaunt, and his teſtimonies. Grace and mercy are in his promiſe, faithfulnes or truth in fulfilling and hearing. And in the 85 Pſalme he ſayth: Mercy and truth are met togither, righteouſnes and peace hauehave kiſſed ech other, that is, they come togither in eueryevery worke and gift, which we obtaine of the Lord by praying.
In this truſt and confidence thou muſt ſo behaue thy ſelfe,We muſt not appoint vntounto God how, when, or where he ſhall heare our prayers. that thou doe not limit to the Lorde any bound or ende, day or place, neither appoynt any maner or meaſure of hearing, but that thou do commit all thoſe things to his diuine wil, wiſedom, and omnipotencie, that thou boldly and cheerefully looke to be heard, and yet not deſire to know, how, and where, how ſoone, and how long, and by what meanes. For his diuine wiſedom, ſhall finde a better maner and meaſure, time and place, then we can thinke, euen although that ſhould be done by miracles. Euen as in the olde Teſtament, Exod. 14, when the children of Iſraell truſted that God would deliuer them, and yet no poſſible meanes were before their eyes, or in all their thoughts, then the red ſea opened it ſelfe, and gaue them paſſage, drowning all their enemies at once. The holy woman Iudith, when ſhe heard that the Citizens of Bethulia would after the ſpace of fiue dayes giuegive vp the citie, if God in the meane time did not helpe them, rebuked them ſaying: VVhat are ye, that ye tempt the Lorde? theſe are not deuiſes and purpoſes, whereby we obtayne mercy of God, but rather whereby we prouoke him vntounto wrath and diſpleaſure. VVill ye ſet the mercy of the Lorde a time, and appoint him a day after your will? Hereupon God did helpe her after a meruelous ſort, that at the laſt ſhe fiue Holofernes, and put the enemies to flight, Iudith 13: So S. Paule alſo ſayth, Epheſ. 3: that the power of God is ſuch and ſo great, that it doth farre greater and better thinges then we eyther aſke or thinke. Wherfore we ought to thinke our ſelues more vile, then that we may name, appoynt, or preſcribe the time, place, maner, meaſure, and other circumſtances of that which we aſke of God, but we muſt leaue all thinges wholy vntounto him, conſtantly and boldly beleeuing that he will heare vsus.