Heidelberg Catechism Part 2

So far we've taken a few short looks at the Heidelberg Catechism. You can find those previous posts here and here. Our first post was an introduction to the catechism; while the second post was a look at the very first question. If you've never read or seen the catechism before, you can find a complete copy of it here.

If you're wondering where exactly Heidelberg is, here's a handy dandy Google map of Germany with Heidelberg marked appropriately.


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Today, we take brief look at the last question of the catechism and meditate on it just a bit.

Q129: What is the meaning of the word Amen?

A: Amen means: So shall it truly and surely be. For my prayer is much more certainly heard of God than I feel in my heart that I desire these things of him.

As the catechism wraps up, the writers walk through the various petitions of the model prayer from Matthew 6 explaining each petition as they go. And at the end they explain the meaning of "amen." "So shall it truly and surely be." This part sounds familiar to us, but the explanation may not be quite as familiar. To say "amen" is to acknowledge that God certainly has heard our prayers. His hearing of our prayers is certain, more certain than even our desires expressed in prayer. God hears our prayers, and He will accomplish His good ends, regardless of our fickleness of heart.

So often, I leave my time in prayer not "feeling" any different. I didn't get an emotional experience or the passion just wasn't there during my time in prayer. Did I really want what I asked for? I wonder: does God's response to my prayers change if my prayers are "lame?" The Heidelberg helps me think this through... no, thankfully, God hears our prayers, and His hearing is more certain than whether we really desire what we asked for. Notice where the emphasis is in this explanation. Prayer is about our sovereign and good God. In prayer we acknowledge our utter dependence upon God (because we aren't sure if we really want what we ask for), and we ask for more resources in the advancement of the kingdom (Mt. 6). Certainly, even when our prayers feel "flat" and we're not sure we really want what we're asking for, God hears them and will accomplish His ends.

Is this what we mean when we say "amen?"