Let the first rule of right prayer then be, to have our heart and mind framed as becomes those who are entering into converse with God. So begins John Calvin and his treatise on prayer. These seminal writings are from his Magnus Opus, The Institutes of the Christian Religion. Prayer as Calvin describes it is not giddy, and he goes on to give Scriptural definitions of proper thought, engagement, and attitude. What do the roles of patience and self-denial play in the role of the Christian life and what does Christian piety look like? What should our views be of the present life and the future life?
John Calvin is one of the giants of Christian history. These two chapters of The Institutes guide us ever so thoughtfully and gracefully into his theology and practice of Christian living. Wonderfully narrated by James Adams, these are sure to both challenge and encourage one to a fuller devotion to Christ.