John Calvin on Prayer

In The Institutes of Christian Religion, Book III, Chapter XX, John Calvin writes eloquently on prayer.. This somewhat lengthy chapter is entirely devoted to the subject of prayer, and it is one of the more amazing moments, I've found, in Calvin's massive work.

Prayer is central for Calvin. As he states at the beginning of Section 2, "It is, therefore, by the benefit of prayer that we reach those riches which are laid up for us with the Heavenly Father." And a little later, "Words fail to explain how necessary prayer is, and in how many ways the exercise of prayer is profitable."

Section 3 is devoted to giving six reasons for prayer. In particular he answers this objection: "But someone will say, does God not know, even without being reminded, both in what respect we are troubled and what is expedient for us, so that it may seem in a sense superfluous that he should be stirred up by our prayers--as if he were drowsily blinking or even sleeping until he is aroused by our voice?" His answer to this objection is clear enough: "But they who thus reason do not observe to what end the Lord instructed his people to pray, for he ordained it not so much for his own sake as for ours."

His six reasons for prayer may be summarized as follows:

That we increase in our zeal for God.


That we learn to be open and honest before God.


That we prepare ourselves to gratefully receive blessings from God.


To meditate on God's goodness after he has answered prayer.


To enjoy those things which God has given in answer to prayer.


To gain confidence in God's providence.