III. D'oraison — Le 36e dimanche
The Foundation of Confident Prayer
True prayer must be rooted in the firm assurance of God's promise to hear us.
We must pray with sure confidence. Minister: When we pray to God, are we just doing it at random, without knowing if it will do any good? Or should we be certain that our prayers will be answered? E: In our prayers we must always have this foundation: that they will be received by God, and that we will obtain what we ask for, so far as it is for our good.1 And so Saint Paul says that true calling on God proceeds from faith (Romans 10:14).2 For if we don't have confidence in God's goodness, it's impossible for us to call on him truly. 249. M: And what about those who doubt and don't know whether God hears them or not? E: Their prayers are completely empty, since they aren't based on any promise at all.3 For it is said that we should ask in faith, and it will be granted to us (Matthew 21:22; Mark 11:24).✦
Access Through the Mediator
Despite our unworthiness, we approach God through the promises of his Word and the mediation of Jesus Christ.
250. M: That still leaves how and on what grounds we can dare to present ourselves before God, seeing that we are far too unworthy of it. S: First, we have the promises, and we must rest on them without looking to our own worthiness (Psalms 50:15; 91:3; 145:18; Isaiah 30:15; 65:24; Jeremiah 29:12; Joel 3:5) (36).4 Second, if we are children of God, he leads and urges us by his Holy Spirit to draw near to him familiarly, as to our Father (Matthew 9:2, 22 and elsewhere).5 And so that we don't fear appearing before his glorious Majesty—we who are only poor earthworms and miserable sinners—he gives us our Lord Jesus as Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 4:16; 1 John 2:1), so that through him, having access, we may not doubt at all that we will find grace.
Praying in the Name of Christ
We are commanded to pray in the name of Jesus, who intercedes for us and grants us access to the Father.
We must pray only in the name of Christ. M: Do you understand that we must call on God only in the name of Jesus Christ? S: Yes, that's how I understand it.6 For we have an explicit commandment to do so. And when we do this, it's promised to us that by the power of his intercession our requests will be granted (John 14:13).7 252. M: So it isn't rashness or foolish presumption for us to dare to address God privately, provided we have Jesus Christ as our advocate and present him, so that through him God may accept us and hear us? E: No. For we pray as if through his mouth, inasmuch as he gives us access and a hearing and intercedes for us (Romans 8:34).
Read the original Latin
Il faut prier avec certaine fiance 248. M : Quand nous prions Dieu, est-ce à l'aventure, ne sachant point si nous profiterons, ou non? Ou bien, si nous devons être certains que nos prières seront exaucées? E : Il nous faut toujours avoir ce fondement en nos prières qu'elles seront reçues de Dieu et que nous obtiendrons ce que nous requérons, en tant qu'il sera expédient. Et pourtant, dit saint Paul, que la droite invocation procède de la foi (Romains 10:14). Car si nous n'avons fiance en la bonté de Dieu, il nous est impossible de l'invoquer en vérité.
249. M : Et que sera-ce de ceux qui doutent et ne savent si Dieu les écoute ou non? E : Leurs prières sont du tout frivoles, d'autant qu'elles n'ont nulle promesse. Car il est dit que nous demandions en croyant et qu'il nous sera octroyé (Matthieu 21:22 ; Marc 11:24).
250. M : Il reste de savoir comment et à quel titre nous pouvons avoir la hardiesse de nous présenter devant Dieu, vu que nous en sommes par trop indignes. E : Premièrement, nous avons les promesses auxquelles il nous faut arrêter, sans considérer notre dignité (Psaumes 50:15 ; 91:3 ; 145:18 ; Ésaïe 30:15 ; 65:24 ; Jérémie 29:12 ; Joël 3:5) (36). Secondement, si nous sommes enfants de Dieu, il nous induit et pousse par son Saint-Esprit à nous retirer familièrement à lui, comme à notre Père (Matthieu 9:2, 22 et alibi). Et afin que nous ne craignions pas de comparaître devant sa Majesté glorieuse, nous qui ne sommes que pauvres vers de terre et misérables pécheurs, il nous donne notre Seigneur Jésus pour Médiateur (1 Timothée 2:5 ; Hébreux 4:16 ; 1 Jean 2:1), afin que par son moyen ayant accès, nous ne doutions point de trouver grâce.
Il ne faut prier qu'au Nom de Christ 251. M : Entends-tu qu'il ne nous faille invoquer Dieu qu'au Nom de Jésus- Christ? E : Je l'entends ainsi. Car nous en avons le commandement exprès. Et en ce faisant nous est promis que par la vertu de son intercession nos requêtes nous seront octroyées (Jean 14:13).
252. M : Ce n'est point donc témérité, ni folle présomption, de nous oser adresser privément à Dieu, moyennant que nous ayons Jésus-Christ pour notre avocat, et que nous le mettions en avant, afin que Dieu, par son moyen, nous ait agréables et nous exauce? E : Non. Car nous prions comme par sa bouche, d'autant qu'il nous donne entrée et audience et intercède pour nous (Romains 8:34).
Scripture echoes
- ↩Mark.11.24 — Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Notes
- 1 ↩"en tant qu'il sera expédient" rendered as "so far as it is for our good" (expedient/beneficial), not mere convenience.
- 2 ↩"Et pourtant" taken in older French sense as "and so / therefore" (not contrastive "and yet"), fitting the continuous argument from assured prayer to faith.
- 3 ↩French 'frivoles' here means vain/empty/worthless rather than modern 'frivolous' in the lighthearted sense; rendered 'empty' to keep the theological force.
- 4 ↩French E (Élève) rendered as S (Scholar) for dialogue clarity; digité as moral worthiness, not social dignity. arrêter = rest/fix upon the promises.
- 5 ↩nous retirer familièrement à lui: older French se retirer à = resort/go for refuge; familièrement marks intimate, childlike access, not casual flippancy.
- 6 ↩Source speaker label is E (Enfant). Rendered as S (Student) for modern catechetical clarity; the dialogue role is unchanged.
- 7 ↩French vertu here means efficacy or power (by virtue of / through the force of), not moral virtue.
Catechism of the Church of Geneva (Le catéchisme de l'Église de Genève) companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit