Fayth in prayer. / What to be asked in prayer.
The Master's Approval
The Master expresses his approval of the Scholar's previous explanation, affirming that nothing essential was omitted.
Teacher. I like this short explanation of yours very much, my son, and I see nothing left out that should have been said.
Faith in Prayer
The Scholar adds that the chief requirement in prayer is unwavering faith that God will grant what is asked, as Scripture attests.
Scholar. But still, I'll add this one thing: the main thing required in prayer is that, without any doubt, we firmly believe that God our Father will grant what we ask, as long as it's neither useless for us to receive nor unfit for him to give.1 For anyone who is not certain but doubtful should not think (as James says) to get anything from the hands of God.
Read the original English
Master. I like wel (my son) thys thy shorte declaration: and I see nothing left out, that oughte to haue beene spoken.
Scholer. But yet thys one thynge wyll I adde therto The chiefe and Princypall thynge, required in prayer, is that without al douting we stedfastli beliue, that god oure father wyll graunte what we do aske: so y• it bee neyther vnprofytable for vs to receiue, nor vnfyt for him to giue. For hee that is not, assured but doutful, let him not thincke (as Iames. saieth) to gette anye thynge at the handes of God.
Notes
- 1 ↩Source abbreviation 'y•' read as 'that' ('so that it be'); early-modern print convention.
John Ponet's Short Catechisme (1553) 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