Journal: Reformed Presbyterian Theological Journal
Volume: RPTJ 10:1 (Fall 2023)
Article: Calvin On Prayer
Author: Richard C. Gamble

RPTJ 10:1 (Fall 2023) p. 17

Calvin On Prayer

Richard C. Gamble

Professor of Systematic Theology
Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary

We all pray, and we all believe that coming before the throne of grace is vitally important. However, if you can imagine a church that simply did not know how to pray—this was the late medieval church, the one that John Calvin inherited. As Geneva’s consistory records show, the people thought that it was more pious to pray in Latin, even though they had no idea what they were saying. Public prayer, in the common tongue, was simply unheard of.

Calvin sought to remedy this dire state of affairs, and, to that end, he wrote quite a bit about prayer. Through a chronological analysis of selected writings from his corpus, this essay demonstrates both changes and expansions in Calvin’s thinking on prayer. I will begin with one of his earliest publications, the 1536 edition of the Institutes of the Christian Religion, and will then examine, among other works, an Old Testament commentary and a sermon on prayer based upon Ephesians 6:18–19, before concluding with Calvin’s four-book edition of the Institutes from 1559.

A Selection Of Calvin’s Writings On Prayer

Institutes Of The Christian Religion, First Edition, (1536)1

At twenty-seven years old, Calvin already demonstrated both spiritual wisdom and the ability to craft beautiful prose.2 From his early writings, he established that, while we are destitute outside of Christ, we enjoy complete happiness and great treasures in Him.

Rules For Prayer In General

Calvin’s first rule of prayer is that we must abandon all thoughts of our own glory. His second rule is that we must sense our own insufficiency and earnestly seek what we need from God. To impel us to pray, there is both a command and a promise.3 Prayer, like our faith, rests on God’s promises and should be performed in Christ’s name.4

RPTJ 10:1 (Fall 2023) p. 18

Given his cultural context, Calvin had to address the notion of the intercession of the saints. He was, of course, opposed to such babbling. His reasons were clear: godly prayers are for the advancement of God’s kingdom, with special focus on saving the lost and confounding the reprobate. To believe that departed saints can help in this supernatural task is to think of God’s kingdom, as Calvin wrote, “stupidly and carnally and even contemptuously.�...