為甚麼基督徒要禱告？
禱告並非聖潔之人的特權，而是出於上帝的命令。上帝命令我們禱告，所以，我們向上帝禱告。因為上帝如此命令，所以，我們知道上帝必然垂聽禱告。
15 有思想以為：「我們不夠聖潔，也不配得。如果我如同聖彼得、或聖保羅一樣虔誠聖潔，我就會禱告。」我們受這種思想迷惑，阻止我們禱告。拋開這種思想吧！誡命適用於於聖保羅，也適用於我們。第二誡[譯者注]給我們與給聖彼得的原因是一樣的。他不能誇耀獲得了比我們更好更神聖的誡命。
16 因此你當說：「我的禱告與聖保羅和眾聖徒的禱告一樣，蒙上帝喜悅。理由是：雖然我承認他的人格比我更聖潔，但誡命完全不是這樣。上帝垂聽禱告並非看人的身份，乃因他的話語，和人對話語的順服。眾聖徒以此誡命為禱告的根基。我也以此誡命為我的根基。並且，我在禱告中求告的事，與他們所求，或從前所求的事，是一樣的。」
17. 第一重點是：我們一切的禱告須基於順服上帝的誡命，無視於我們怎樣，不論罪人或聖徒，配或不配。18. 我們必須學習：上帝不容許我們的禱告如同兒戲。若是我們不禱告，他就必發怒，刑罰我們，正像他責罰其他各種不順從一般。他不容許我們的禱告徒然落空，因為他若不聽你，他不會叫你禱告，並制訂此嚴厲的誡命。
19. 第二，我們應更加催促與鼓勵他人禱告，因為上帝應許我們「禱告必蒙垂聽」，正如他在詩篇50:15說：「要在患難之日求告我；我必搭救你，你也要榮耀我。」，基督說：「你們祈求，就給你們」，「因為凡祈求 ，就得著」等（太7:7-8）。20 這些應許必然喚醒，並激發我們甘心樂意禱告。因為上帝借著他的道證明他十分喜愛我們的禱告。為了讓我們不鄙視、輕視禱告，或靠概率禱告，上帝必聽允我們的禱告。
21. 你可放膽對上帝說：「親愛的天父啊！我們現在祈求，不是出於自己的目的或因為自己配得，而是因為你的吩咐絕不失信，你的應許絕不欺騙我。」無論誰若不相信這應許，就當知道會惹怒上帝，就如同極不尊敬他，控告他為說謊者一般。——馬丁路德（《大問答》，主禱文）
譯者注：回到原文第二誡『不可妄稱耶和華的名』，就是要求我們要正確地使用『耶和華的名』。禱告是正確地使用上帝的名的方式之一，所以，馬丁路德視第二誡是命令我們禱告的誡命。
15 For we let thoughts like these lead us astray and stop us: “I am not holy or worthy enough. If I were as godly and holy as St. Peter or St. Paul, then I would pray.” But put such thoughts far away. For the same commandment that applied to St. Paul applies also to me. The Second Commandment is given as much on my account as on his account, so that Paul can boast about no better or holier commandment.
16 You should say, “My prayer is as precious, holy, and pleasing to God as that of St. Paul or of the most holy saints. This is the reason: I will gladly grant that Paul is personally more holy, but that’s not because of the commandment. God does not consider prayer because of the person, but because of His Word and obedience to it. For I rest my prayer on the same commandment on which all the saints rest their prayer. Furthermore, I pray for the same thing that they all pray for and always have prayed. Besides, I have just as great a need of what I pray for as those great saints; no, even a greater one than they.”
17 Let this be the first and most important point, that all our prayers must be based and rest upon obedience to God, regardless of who we are, whether we are sinners or saints, worthy or unworthy. 18 We must know that God will not have our prayer treated as a joke. But He will be angry and punish all who do not pray, just as surely as He punishes all other disobedience. Furthermore, He will not allow our prayers to be in vain or lost. For if He did not intend to answer your prayer, He would not ask you to pray and add such a severe commandment to it.
19 In the second place, we should be more encouraged and moved to pray because God has also added a promise and declared that it shall surely be done for us as we pray. He says in Psalm 50:15, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you.” And Christ says in the Gospel of St. Matthew, “Ask, and it will be given to you; … for everyone who asks receives” (7:7–8). 20 Such promises certainly ought to encourage and kindle our hearts to pray with pleasure and delight. For He testifies with His own Word that our prayer is heartily pleasing to Him. Furthermore, it shall certainly be heard and granted, in order that we may not despise it or think lightly of it and pray based on chance.
21 You can raise this point with Him and say, “Here I come, dear Father, and pray, not because of my own purpose or because of my own worthiness. But I pray because of Your commandment and promise, which cannot fail or deceive me.” Whoever, therefore, does not believe this promise must note again that he outrages God like a person who thoroughly dishonors Him and accuses Him of falsehood. (McCain, P. T. (Ed.). (2005). Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions (p. 410). St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House.)
