Martin Luther: A Very Short Introduction by Scott H. Hendrix

Author:Scott H. Hendrix [Hendrix, Scott H.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780199574339
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: 2010-01-15T07:00:00+00:00

Claiming that he had insufficient time to undertake such a reform, Luther offered his own guide to prayer, insisting that the Lord’s Prayer was sufficient at any time and that a persistent and heartfelt turning to God was more important than many words. Not known for brevity himself, Luther nevertheless carried that exhortation to an extreme that might offend pious ears. In a letter of condolence to an Austrian nobleman whose wife had died, Luther asked him to stop paying for all the vigils, Masses, and daily prayers being offered for his wife. Instead, he admonished:

It is sufficient for your grace earnestly to pray once or twice for her. For God has promised that whatever you ask for, believe that you will receive it and you will certainly have it (Luke 11:9–10). In contrast, when we pray over and over again for the same thing, it is a sign that we do not believe God and with our faithless prayer we only make him angrier. True, we should constantly pray, but always in faith and certain that we are being heard. Otherwise, the prayer is in vain.

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