st his worthiness, or because of
his unworthiness grow faint; but he must heed God's command and
cast this up to Him, and hold it before the devil, and say:
"Because of my worthiness I do nothing, because of my
unworthiness I cease from nothing. I pray and work only because
God of His pure mercy has promised to hear and to be gracious to
all unworthy men, and not only promised it, but He has also most
sternly, on pain of His everlasting displeasure and wrath,
commanded us to pray, to trust and to receive. If it has not
been too much for that high Majesty so solemnly and highly to
obligate His unworthy worms to pray, to trust, and to receive
from Him, how shall it be too much for me to take such command
upon myself with all joy; however worthy or unworthy I may be?"
Thus we must drive out the devil's suggestion with God's command.
Thus will he cease, and in no other way whatever.

[Sidenote: What Men Shall Pray For]

IX. But what are the things which we must bring before Almighty
God in prayer and lamentation, to exercise faith thereby? Answer:
First, every man's own besetting need and trouble, of which David
says, Psalm xxxii: "Thou art my refuge in all trouble which
compasseth me about; Thou art my comfort, to preserve me from all
evil which surrounds me." [Ps. 32:7] likewise, Psalm cxlii: "I
cried unto the Lord with my voice; with my voice unto the Lord
did I make my supplication. I poured out my complaint before Him;
I showed before Him my trouble." [Ps. 142:2] In the mass a
Christian shall keep in mind the short-comings or excesses he
feels, and pour out all these freely before God with weeping and
groaning, as woefully as he can, as to his faithful Father, who
is ready to help him. And if you do not know or recognise your
need, or have no trouble, then you shall know that you are in the
worst possible plight. For this is the greatest trouble, that you
find yourself so hardened, hard-hearted and insensible that no
trouble moves you.

There is no better mirror in which to see your need than simply
the Ten Commandments, in which you will find what you lack and
what you should seek. If, therefore, you find in yourself a weak
faith, small hope and little love toward God; and that you do not
praise and honor God, but love your own honor and fame, think
much of the favor of men, do not gladly hear mass and sermon, are
indolent in prayer, in which things every one has faults, then
you shall think more of these faults