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Heidelberg Catechism
Commissioned by Elector Frederick III of the Palatinate and written chiefly by Ursinus and Olevianus, the Heidelberg Catechism organizes Christian doctrine around three parts: our misery, our deliverance, and our gratitude. Its warm, personal tone — every answer in the first person — has made it one of the most loved Reformed confessions.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? — Romans 8:31
Lord's Day 1 — Our Only Comfort
Q1
What is your only comfort in life and in death?
That I, with body and soul, both in life and in death, am not my own, but belong to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ, who with his precious blood has fully satisfied for all my sins, and redeemed me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me that without the will of my Father in heaven not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things must work together for my salvation. Wherefore, by his Holy Spirit, he also assures me of eternal life, and makes me heartily willing and ready from now on to live unto him. (Rom. 8:38–39; 1 Cor. 6:19–20; John 10:28; Rom. 8:28)
Q2
How many things are necessary for you to know, that in this comfort you may live and die happily?
Lord's Day 2 — The Law and Our Sin
Q4
What does the law of God require of us?
Christ teaches us this in a summary in Matthew 22: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matt. 22:37–40; Luke 10:27)
Q5
Can you keep all this perfectly?
No; for I am by nature prone to hate God and my neighbour. (Rom. 3:10–12; Rom. 8:7)
Lord's Day 3 — The Origin of Sin
Q6
Did God then create man so wicked and perverse?
Q7
From where then comes this depraved nature of man?
From the fall and disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, in Paradise, whereby our nature became so corrupt that we are all conceived and born in sin. (Gen. 3:1–6; Rom. 5:12; Ps. 51:5)
Q8
Are we then so depraved that we are wholly incapable of any good and prone to all evil?
Lord's Day 4 — God's Justice and Our Guilt
Q9
Does not God do man an injustice by requiring of him in his law what he cannot do?
No; for God so created man that he could do it; but man, through the instigation of the devil, by deliberate disobedience, deprived himself and all his posterity of these divine gifts. (Eccl. 7:29; Gen. 3:13)
Q10
Will God allow such disobedience and apostasy to go unpunished?
By no means; but he is terribly displeased with our original sin as well as our actual sins, and will punish them by a just judgment temporally and eternally, as he has declared: Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. (Rom. 5:12; Gal. 3:10; Deut. 27:26)
Q11
Is not God also merciful?
God is indeed merciful, but he is also just; his justice requires that sin, which is committed against the most high majesty of God, be punished with extreme, that is, with everlasting punishment of body and soul. (Exod. 34:6–7; Rom. 1:17; Matt. 25:46)
Lord's Day 5 — The Mediator
Q12
Since then, by the righteous judgment of God, we deserve temporal and eternal punishment, is there no way by which we can escape that punishment and be again received into favor?
God wills that his justice be satisfied; therefore we must make full satisfaction to his justice, either by ourselves or by another. (Exod. 23:7; Rom. 8:3–4)
Q13
Can we ourselves make this satisfaction?
Certainly not; on the contrary, we daily increase our debt. (Rom. 2:4–5; Matt. 6:12)
Q14
Can there be found anywhere one who is a mere creature able to make satisfaction for us?
No; for, first, God will not punish any other creature for the sin which man committed; and further, no mere creature can sustain the burden of God's eternal wrath against sin, and redeem others therefrom. (Heb. 2:14–15; Ps. 49:7–8)
Q15
What manner of mediator and redeemer must we seek?
One who is a true and righteous man, and yet more powerful than all creatures; that is, one who is at the same time true God. (1 Cor. 15:21; 2 Cor. 5:21; Isa. 9:6)
Lord's Day 6 — Christ the God-Man
Q16
Why must he be a true and righteous man?
Because the justice of God requires that the same human nature which has sinned should make satisfaction for sin; but no man, being himself a sinner, could satisfy for others. (Rom. 5:12; 1 Pet. 3:18; Isa. 53:3–5)
Q17
Why must he at the same time be true God?
Q18
But who now is that mediator who in one person is true God and at the same time a true and righteous man?
Our Lord Jesus Christ, who is freely given unto us for complete redemption and righteousness. (Matt. 1:23; 1 Tim. 2:5; 1 Cor. 1:30)
Q19
From where do you know this?
From the Holy Gospel, which God himself first revealed in Paradise, afterwards proclaimed by the holy patriarchs and prophets, and foreshadowed by the sacrifices and other ceremonies of the law, and finally fulfilled by his well-beloved Son. (Gen. 3:15; Heb. 1:1–2; Rom. 1:2)
Lord's Day 7 — Faith and Election
Q20
Are all men then saved through Christ as they have perished through Adam?
No; only those who by a true faith are grafted into him and receive all his benefits. (Matt. 7:14; John 3:36)
Q21
What is true faith?
It is not only a certain knowledge whereby I hold for truth all that God has revealed to us in his Word, but also a hearty trust, which the Holy Spirit works in me by the gospel, that not only to others, but to me also, forgiveness of sins, everlasting righteousness and salvation are freely given by God, merely of grace, only for the sake of Christ's merits. (Jas. 2:19; Heb. 11:1; Rom. 1:16; Gal. 2:16)
Q22
What then is necessary for a Christian to believe?
All that is promised to us in the gospel, which the articles of our catholic and undoubted Christian faith teach us in a summary. (John 20:31; Matt. 28:19)
Q23
What are these articles?
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.
Lord's Day 8 — The Three Articles
Q24
How are these articles divided?
Into three parts: the first is of God the Father and our creation; the second of God the Son and our redemption; the third of God the Holy Ghost and our sanctification. (Matt. 28:19)
Q25
Since there is but one Divine Being, why speakest thou of three: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost?
Because God has so revealed himself in his Word that these three distinct Persons are the one true and eternal God. (1 John 5:7; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14)
Lord's Day 9 — God the Father and Creation
Q26
What do you believe when you say: I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth?
That the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who of nothing made heaven and earth with all that is in them, who likewise upholds and governs the same by his eternal counsel and providence, is for the sake of Christ his Son my God and my Father. In him I so trust that I do not doubt he will provide me with all things necessary for body and soul; and further, that whatever evil he sends upon me in this valley of tears, he will turn to my good; for he is able to do it, being Almighty God, and willing also, being a faithful Father. (Gen. 1:1; Matt. 6:25–26; Rom. 8:28)
Lord's Day 10 — God's Providence
Q27
What do you understand by the providence of God?
The almighty, everywhere-present power of God, whereby, as it were by his hand, he still upholds heaven and earth with all creatures, and so governs them that herbs and grass, rain and drought, fruitful and barren years, meat and drink, health and sickness, riches and poverty, yea, all things come not by chance, but by his fatherly hand. (Heb. 1:3; Jer. 5:24; Acts 17:25; Prov. 22:2)
Q28
What does it profit us to know that God created and by his providence upholds all things?
That we may be patient in adversity, thankful in prosperity, and for what is future have good confidence in our faithful God and Father, that no creature shall separate us from his love, since all creatures are so in his hand that without his will they cannot so much as move. (Rom. 5:3; Rom. 8:38–39; Job 1:21)
Lord's Day 11 — Jesus and His Name
Q29
Why is the Son of God called Jesus, that is, a Saviour?
Because he saves us from our sins, and because salvation is not to be sought or found in any other. (Matt. 1:21; Acts 4:12)
Q30
Do such then believe in Jesus the only Saviour who seek their salvation and welfare of saints, of themselves, or anywhere else?
No; for although they boast of him in words, yet in deed they deny Jesus the only Saviour; for either Jesus is not a complete Saviour, or they who by a true faith receive this Saviour must have in him all that is necessary to their salvation. (1 Cor. 1:13; Col. 1:20; Gal. 5:4)
Lord's Day 12 — Christ the Anointed
Q31
Why is he called Christ, that is, Anointed?
Because he is ordained of God the Father and anointed with the Holy Ghost to be our chief Prophet and Teacher, who has fully revealed to us the secret counsel and will of God concerning our redemption; and our only High Priest who by the one sacrifice of his body has redeemed us, and makes continual intercession for us with the Father; and our eternal King, who governs us by his Word and Spirit, and defends and preserves us in the redemption obtained for us. (Luke 4:18; Heb. 7:21; Ps. 2:6)
Q32
But why art thou called a Christian?
Because by faith I am a member of Christ, and thus a partaker of his anointing, in order that I also may confess his name, may present myself a living sacrifice of thankfulness to him, and with a free conscience may fight against sin and the devil in this life, and hereafter in eternity reign with him over all creatures. (Acts 11:26; Rom. 12:1; Rev. 1:6)
Lord's Day 13 — God's Only Son, Our Lord
Q33
Why is Christ called the only begotten Son of God, since we are also children of God?
Because Christ alone is the eternal, natural Son of God; but we are children of God by adoption, through grace, for his sake. (John 1:14; Rom. 8:15–17)
Q34
Why callest thou him our Lord?
Because he has redeemed us, both body and soul, from all our sins, not with silver or gold, but with his precious blood, and has delivered us from all the power of the devil; and thus has made us his own property. (1 Pet. 1:18–19; Col. 1:13–14)
Lord's Day 14 — The Incarnation
Q35
What is the meaning of "conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary"?
That the eternal Son of God, who is and continueth true and eternal God, took upon him the very nature of man, of the flesh and blood of the virgin Mary, by the operation of the Holy Ghost; so that he might also be the true seed of David, like unto his brethren in all things, yet without sin. (John 1:1; Luke 1:31–35; Heb. 2:17; Heb. 4:15)
Q36
What benefit do you receive from the holy conception and birth of Christ?
That he is our Mediator, and with his innocence and perfect holiness covers, in the sight of God, my sin wherein I was conceived. (1 Pet. 1:19; Ps. 32:1)
Lord's Day 15 — The Suffering of Christ
Q37
What dost thou understand by the word "suffered"?
That all the time he lived on earth, but especially at the end of his life, he bore, in body and soul, the wrath of God against the sin of the whole human race; in order that by his suffering, as the only atoning sacrifice, he might redeem our body and soul from everlasting damnation, and obtain for us the grace of God, righteousness, and eternal life. (Isa. 53:4–6; 1 John 2:2; Rom. 3:25)
Q38
Why did he suffer under Pontius Pilate as judge?
That he, being innocent, might be condemned by an earthly judge, and thereby free us from the severe judgment of God that was to fall on us. (Luke 23:14; Isa. 53:4–5; Gal. 3:13)
Q39
Is there anything more in his being crucified than if he had died some other death?
Yes; for thereby I am assured that he took on himself the curse which lay upon me, for the death of the cross was accursed of God. (Gal. 3:13; Deut. 21:23)
Lord's Day 16 — Death, Burial, and Descent
Q40
Why was it necessary for Christ to suffer death and to be buried?
Because the justice and truth of God required that satisfaction for our sins could be made in no other way than by the death of the Son of God. (Rom. 8:3–4; Phil. 2:8; Heb. 2:9)
Q42
Since then Christ died for us, why must we also die?
Our death is not a satisfaction for our sins, but only a dying to sins and an entering into eternal life. (John 5:24; Phil. 1:23)
Q43
What further benefit do we receive from the sacrifice and death of Christ on the cross?
Q44
Why is there added: "He descended into hell"?
That in my greatest temptations I may be assured that Christ my Lord, by his inexpressible anguish, pains, and terrors which he suffered in his soul on the cross and before, has redeemed me from the anguish and torment of hell. (Matt. 26:38; Ps. 18:5–6; Heb. 5:7)
Lord's Day 17 — The Resurrection
Q45
What benefit do we receive from the resurrection of Christ?
First, by his resurrection he has overcome death, that he might make us partakers of that righteousness which he has obtained for us by his death. Second, by his power we too are now raised up to a new life. Third, the resurrection of Christ is a sure pledge to us of our blessed resurrection. (1 Cor. 15:54–57; Rom. 6:4; 1 Cor. 15:20)
Lord's Day 18 — The Ascension
Q46
What do you understand by "ascended into heaven"?
Q47
Is not Christ then with us even unto the end of the world, as he has promised?
Christ is true man and true God. With respect to his human nature, he is no more on earth; but with respect to his Godhead, majesty, grace, and Spirit, he is at no time absent from us. (Matt. 28:20; John 14:16–18)
Q48
But are not, in this way, the two natures in Christ separated from one another, if his manhood is not wherever his Godhead is?
Q49
What benefit do we receive from Christ's ascension into heaven?
First, that he is our Advocate in the presence of his Father in heaven. Second, that we have our flesh in heaven as a sure pledge that he, as the Head, will also take us, his members, to himself. Third, that he sends us his Spirit as an earnest, by whose power we seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God, and not things on earth. (1 John 2:1; Eph. 2:6; John 14:16; Col. 3:1)
Lord's Day 19 — Christ's Session and Return
Q50
Why is it added: "and sitteth at the right hand of God"?
Because Christ ascended into heaven for this end, that he might appear there as Head of his Church, by whom the Father governs all things. (Eph. 1:20–23; Col. 1:18)
Q51
What profit is it to us that Christ is glorified at the right hand of his Father?
Q52
What comfort is it to thee that Christ "shall come to judge the quick and the dead"?
That in all my misery and persecution I look with my head erect for the very same person who before offered himself for my sake to the tribunal of God, and has removed all curse from me, to come as Judge from heaven; who shall cast all his enemies and mine into everlasting condemnation, but shall translate me with all his chosen ones to himself, into heavenly joy and glory. (Luke 21:28; Rom. 8:23–24; Matt. 25:41; Matt. 25:34)
Lord's Day 20 — The Holy Spirit
Q53
What dost thou believe concerning the Holy Ghost?
First, that he is co-eternal God with the Father and the Son. Second, that he is also given to me personally, by true faith makes me a partaker of Christ and all his benefits, comforts me, and shall abide with me forever. (Gen. 1:2; John 14:16; Gal. 4:6; 1 Pet. 1:2)
Lord's Day 21 — The Holy Catholic Church
Q54
What believest thou concerning the "holy catholic Church"?
That the Son of God from the beginning to the end of the world gathers, defends, and preserves to himself by his Spirit and Word, out of the whole human race, a company chosen to everlasting life, agreeing in true faith; and that I am and forever shall remain a living member thereof. (Eph. 1:10–13; Acts 2:47; John 10:28)
Q55
What do you understand by the "communion of saints"?
First, that all and every one who believes, being members of Christ, are in common partakers of him and of all his riches and gifts. Second, that every one must know it to be his duty readily and cheerfully to employ his gifts for the advantage and welfare of the other members. (1 John 1:3; 1 Cor. 12:13; Rom. 12:5)
Q56
What believest thou concerning "the forgiveness of sins"?
That God, for the sake of Christ's satisfaction, will no more remember my sins nor the sinful nature with which I have to struggle all my life long; but graciously imputes to me the righteousness of Christ, that I may never come into condemnation. (Ps. 103:3–4; Rom. 8:1; 2 Cor. 5:19)
Lord's Day 22 — The Resurrection and Life Everlasting
Q57
What comfort doth the "resurrection of the body" afford thee?
That not only my soul after this life shall be immediately taken up to Christ its Head; but also that this my body, raised by the power of Christ, shall again be united with my soul and made like unto the glorious body of Christ. (Phil. 1:23; 1 Thess. 4:16; Phil. 3:21)
Q58
What comfort takest thou from the article of "life everlasting"?
That since I now feel in my heart the beginning of eternal joy, after this life I shall inherit perfect salvation, which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive, and that to praise God therein forever. (2 Cor. 5:2–3; John 17:3; 1 Cor. 2:9)
Lord's Day 23 — Justification by Faith Alone
Q59
But what doth it profit thee now that thou believest all this?
Q60
How art thou righteous before God?
Only by a true faith in Jesus Christ; so that, though my conscience accuse me that I have grossly transgressed all the commandments of God, and kept none of them, and am still inclined to all evil; notwithstanding, God, without any merit of mine, but only of mere grace, grants and imputes to me the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ; even so, as if I never had had, nor committed any sin: yea, as if I had fully accomplished all that obedience which Christ has accomplished for me; inasmuch as I embrace such benefit with a believing heart. (Rom. 3:21–28; Gal. 2:16; 2 Cor. 5:21; Phil. 3:9)
Q61
Why sayest thou that thou art righteous by faith only?
Not that I am acceptable to God on account of the worthiness of my faith; but because only the satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ is my righteousness before God; and that I cannot receive and apply the same to myself any other way than by faith only. (1 Cor. 1:30; Eph. 2:8; Rom. 10:10)
Lord's Day 24 — Faith and Good Works
Q62
But why cannot our good works be the whole, or part of our righteousness before God?
Q63
What! do not our good works merit anything, even though it is not our whole, but only a part of our righteousness before God?
No; for the reward which is not of grace, but of debt, is not of mercy, and if our good works could merit, how could it be that a man that has done ever so little good should be condemned? (Luke 17:10; Rom. 11:6)
Q64
But doth not this doctrine make men careless and profane?
By no means; for it is impossible that those who are implanted into Christ by a true faith should not bring forth fruits of thankfulness. (John 15:5; Rom. 6:1–2; Jas. 2:17)
Lord's Day 25 — The Sacraments
Q65
Since then we are made partakers of Christ and all his benefits by faith only, from where does this faith come?
The Holy Ghost works faith in our hearts by the preaching of the holy gospel, and confirms it by the use of the holy sacraments. (Rom. 10:17; Acts 16:14; Matt. 28:19–20)
Q66
What are the sacraments?
The sacraments are holy visible signs and seals, appointed of God for this end, that by the use thereof he may the more fully declare and seal to us the promise of the gospel, that of free grace he grants us the forgiveness of sins and life eternal for the sake of the one sacrifice of Christ accomplished on the cross. (Gen. 17:11; Rom. 4:11)
Q67
Are both Word and sacraments, then, intended to direct our faith to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross as the only ground of our salvation?
Yes, indeed; for the Holy Ghost teaches us in the gospel, and assures us by the sacraments, that our whole salvation stands in the one sacrifice of Christ made for us on the cross. (Rom. 6:3; Gal. 3:27; 1 Cor. 11:26)
Q68
How many sacraments has Christ instituted in the New Testament?
Two: holy baptism and the holy supper. (Matt. 28:19; 1 Cor. 11:23–26)
Lord's Day 26–27 — Baptism
Q69
How art thou admonished and assured by holy baptism that the one sacrifice of Christ on the cross is of benefit to thee?
Thus: that Christ appointed this external washing with water, adding thereto this promise, that I am as certainly washed by his blood and Spirit from all the impurity of my soul, that is, from all my sins, as I am washed externally with water, by which the filthiness of the body is commonly washed away. (Matt. 3:11; Acts 2:38; 1 Pet. 3:21)
Q74
Are infants also to be baptized?
Yes; for since they, as well as the adult, are included in the covenant and church of God; and since redemption from sin by the blood of Christ, and the Holy Ghost, the author of faith, is promised to them no less than to the adult; they must therefore by baptism, as a sign of the covenant, be also admitted into the Christian church, and distinguished from the children of unbelievers. (Gen. 17:7; Acts 2:39; Luke 1:15)
Lord's Day 28–30 — The Lord's Supper
Q75
How art thou admonished and assured in the holy supper that thou art a partaker of the one sacrifice of Christ accomplished on the cross, and of all his benefits?
Thus: that Christ has commanded me and all believers to eat of this broken bread and to drink of this cup in remembrance of him, adding these promises: first, that his body was offered and broken on the cross for me, and his blood shed for me, as certainly as I see with my eyes the bread of the Lord broken for me, and the cup communicated to me; and further, that he feeds and nourishes my soul to everlasting life with his crucified body and shed blood, as assuredly as I receive from the hands of the minister and taste with my mouth the bread and cup of the Lord, as certain signs of the body and blood of Christ. (1 Cor. 10:16; 1 Cor. 11:23–26)
Q80
What difference is there between the Lord's supper and the Popish mass?
The Lord's supper testifies to us that we have a full pardon of all sins by the one sacrifice of Jesus Christ, which he himself has once accomplished on the cross; and that by the Holy Ghost we are ingrafted into Christ, who, according to his human nature, is now not on earth, but in heaven, at the right hand of his Father, and will there be worshipped by us: but the mass teaches that the living and dead have not the pardon of sins through the sufferings of Christ unless Christ is also daily offered for them by the priests; and further, that Christ is bodily under the form of bread and wine, and therefore is to be worshipped in them; so that the mass, at bottom, is nothing else than a denial of the one sacrifice and sufferings of Jesus Christ, and an accursed idolatry. (Heb. 9:25–26; Heb. 10:12)
Lord's Day 32 — Good Works and Gratitude
Q86
Since then we are delivered from our misery, merely of grace, through Christ, without any merit of ours, why must we still do good works?
Because Christ, having redeemed and delivered us by his blood, also renews us by his Holy Spirit after his own image; that so we may testify by the whole of our conduct our gratitude to God for his blessings, and that he may be praised by us; also, that every one of us may be assured in himself of his faith by the fruits thereof; and further, that by our godly conversation others may be gained to Christ. (Rom. 6:13; Matt. 5:16; 2 Pet. 1:10)
Q87
Cannot they then be saved who, continuing in their wicked and ungrateful lives, are not converted to God?
By no means; for the holy Scripture says that no unchaste person, idolater, adulterer, thief, covetous man, drunkard, slanderer, robber, or any such like, shall inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Cor. 6:9–10; Gal. 5:19–21; Eph. 5:5–6)
Lord's Day 33 — Repentance and Its Fruits
Q88
In how many things doth the true conversion of man consist?
In two things: in the mortification of the old, and the quickening of the new man. (Rom. 6:6; Eph. 4:22–24; Col. 3:5–10)
Q89
What is the mortification of the old man?
It is a sincere sorrow of heart that we have provoked God by our sins; and more and more to hate and flee from them. (Joel 2:13; 2 Cor. 7:10; Rom. 8:13)
Q90
What is the quickening of the new man?
It is a sincere joy of heart in God, through Christ, and with love and delight to live according to the will of God in all good works. (Rom. 5:1; Rom. 14:17; Gal. 2:20)
Q91
But what are good works?
Only those which proceed from a true faith, are performed according to the law of God, and to his glory; and not such as are founded on our imaginations, or the institutions of men. (John 15:5; 1 Cor. 10:31; Deut. 12:32)
Lord's Day 34 — The First Commandment
Q94
What doth God enjoin in the first commandment?
That I, as sincerely as I desire the salvation of my own soul, avoid and flee from all idolatry, sorcery, soothsaying, superstition, invocation of saints, or any other creatures; and learn rightly to know the only true God; trust in him alone, with humility and patience submit to him; expect all good things from him only; love, fear, and glorify him with my whole heart; so that I renounce and forsake all creatures rather than do the least thing against his will. (1 Cor. 10:7; Matt. 4:10; Deut. 6:5)
Lord's Day 43 — The Ninth Commandment
Q112
What is required in the ninth commandment?
That I bear false witness against no man, nor falsify any man's words; that I be no backbiter, nor slanderer; that I do not judge, nor join in condemning any man rashly or unheard; but that I avoid all sorts of lies and deceit as the proper works of the devil, unless I would bring down upon me the heavy wrath of God; likewise, that in judgment and all other dealings I love the truth, speak it uprightly and confess it; also that I defend and promote, as much as I am able, the honour and good character of my neighbour. (Prov. 19:5; John 8:44; 1 Pet. 3:8)
Lord's Day 45–52 — Prayer and the Lord's Prayer
Q116
Why is prayer necessary for Christians?
Because it is the chief part of thankfulness which God requires of us; and also, because God will give his grace and Holy Spirit to those only who with sincere desires continually ask them of him, and are thankful for them. (Ps. 50:14–15; Luke 11:13; Matt. 7:7–8)
Q117
What are the requisites of that prayer which is acceptable to God and which he will hear?
First, that we from the heart pray to the one true God only, who has manifested himself in his Word, for all things he has commanded us to ask of him. Second, that we rightly and thoroughly know our need and misery, that so we may deeply humble ourselves in the presence of his divine majesty. Third, that we be firmly assured that, notwithstanding our unworthiness, he will, for the sake of Christ our Lord, certainly hear our prayer, as he has promised us in his Word. (John 4:24; Rom. 8:26; Jas. 1:6; John 14:13–14)
Q120
Why hath Christ commanded us to address God thus: "Our Father"?
That immediately, in the very beginning of our prayer, he might excite in us a childlike reverence for and confidence in God, which are to be the foundation of our prayer; namely, that God is become our Father through Christ, and will much less deny us what we ask of him in faith than our parents will refuse us earthly things. (Matt. 7:9–11; Luke 11:11–13; Rom. 8:15)
Q128
How dost thou conclude thy prayer?
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. That is, all these we ask of thee, because thou, being our King and Almighty, art both willing and able to give us all good, and all this for the glory of thy name and not of ourselves. (Rom. 10:11–13; Ps. 115:1)
Q129
What doth the word "Amen" signify?
Amen signifies, it shall truly and certainly be; for my prayer is more certainly heard of God than I feel in my heart that I desire these things of him. (Isa. 65:24; 2 Cor. 1:20; Rev. 22:20)
Heidelberg, 1563. Translation: traditional English form. The Heidelberg Catechism is in the public domain.
Lord's Days 35–42, 44, 46–52, and portions of Lord's Days 28–31 are abridged here; see a complete edition for all 129 Q&As.