The Foundation of Prayer

Call upon Me in the day of trouble.
PSALM 50:15
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The Foundation of Prayer
If it is a true prayer . . . it must rely on the promise of God. For who would be bold enough in his own right to lift up his hands and eyes to God unless he were sure about the will of God? Accordingly, all prayer relies on the command and promise of God, because in the Second Commandment there is the Word of God, which teaches us to pray: "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain" (Exodus 20:7). Likewise: "Call upon Me in the day of trouble" (Psalm 50:15). But after you have prayed, you should know that just as you can have no doubts about the promise, so you should have no doubts about its being heard; for the foundation of the prayer is the promise—and not our will, not our worthiness, and not our merits.

From Lectures on Genesis (Luther's Works 4:361)
June 29
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