Larger Catechism
Q 179. Are we to pray unto God only?
A. God only being able to search the hearts,1 hear the requests,2 pardon the sins,3 and fulfill the desires of all;4 and only to be believed in,5 and worshiped with religious worship;6 prayer, which is a special part thereof,7 is to be made by all to him alone,8 and to none other.9
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1 Kings 8:39
then hear in heaven your dwelling place and forgive and act and render to each whose heart you know, according to all his ways (for you, you only, know the hearts of all the children of mankind),
Acts 1:24
And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen
Romans 8:27
And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (ESV)
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Psalm 65:2
O you who hear prayer,
to you shall all flesh come. (ESV) - ↩︎
Micah 7:18
Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity
and passing over transgression
for the remnant of his inheritance?
He does not retain his anger forever,
because he delights in steadfast love. (ESV) - ↩︎
Psalm 145:18
The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth. (ESV) - ↩︎
Romans 10:14
How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? (ESV)
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Matthew 4:10
Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,
“‘You shall worship the Lord your God
and him only shall you serve.’” (ESV) - ↩︎
1 Corinthians 1:2
To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: (ESV)
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Isaiah 45:22
“Turn to me and be saved,
all the ends of the earth!
For I am God, and there is no other.Matthew 6:9
Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.Psalm 50:15
and call upon me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.” (ESV) - ↩︎
Isaiah 43:11
I, I am the Lord,
and besides me there is no savior.Isaiah 46
46:1 Bel bows down; Nebo stoops;
their idols are on beasts and livestock;
these things you carry are borne
as burdens on weary beasts.
They stoop; they bow down together;
they cannot save the burden,
but themselves go into captivity.“Listen to me, O house of Jacob,
all the remnant of the house of Israel,
who have been borne by me from before your birth,
carried from the womb;
even to your old age I am he,
and to gray hairs I will carry you.
I have made, and I will bear;
I will carry and will save.“To whom will you liken me and make me equal,
and compare me, that we may be alike?
Those who lavish gold from the purse,
and weigh out silver in the scales,
hire a goldsmith, and he makes it into a god;
then they fall down and worship!
They lift it to their shoulders, they carry it,
they set it in its place, and it stands there;
it cannot move from its place.
If one cries to it, it does not answer
or save him from his trouble.“Remember this and stand firm,
recall it to mind, you transgressors,
remember the former things of old;
for I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me,
declaring the end from the beginning
and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
and I will accomplish all my purpose,’
calling a bird of prey from the east,
the man of my counsel from a far country.
I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass;
I have purposed, and I will do it.“Listen to me, you stubborn of heart,
you who are far from righteousness:
I bring near my righteousness; it is not far off,
and my salvation will not delay;
I will put salvation in Zion,
for Israel my glory.” (ESV)
