QUESTION 8
What
Need Is There For Prayer If God Has Already Determined Everything?
This question is well worth
considering, given the way we pray and what we pray for. Most of us have
taken it for granted that, since Scripture advocates prayer, it must have
some 'power' with God, some influence at least, on the determination
of God's plans. Most Christians speak of 'the power of prayer' in this
sense. Would it not feel just great to be able to cause God to adjust
His objectives and processes because we prayed? But, what are the
premises for this thinking? Too often have we avoided thinking through
on it, too often have we swept it under the carpet.
When rephrased, the question
becomes: Can prayer change God's will and intention?
If the answer is 'No!',
we would question the very idea of prayer as we have taken it to be. Why
pray at all? Except to keep us occupied with something, it would be pointless!
If the answer is in the affirmative,
there would be, it would seem to us, some strong and valid reasons for
prayer. Prayer could make a difference.
But, let us consider just
a few implications should the answer be a 'Yes!'
It implies that God does
not have the strength of character to decide, and to hold to that
decision, what is to actually happen in the future and that He either will
not, or even cannot, make up His Own mind about anything. He
would have to adjust His thinking to ours.
It implies that God is not
intelligent enough to decide the proper course of action to provide
what would be best for His creation and that His determinations are controlled
by the 'suggestions' of, or feedback from, His creatures. It insinuates
that God is playing it by ear and is not really in control of events.
It implies that God is not
knowledgeable enough, that He does not really know everything, that
He is continually making educated guesses about the future. We make it
seem that He is continually making adjustments to His operations
to cope with emergencies and to save His faithful people from all sorts
of unforeseen situations. But, how could He prophesy the outcome
of any situation when so many good people in so many possible places could
be ardently and sincerely praying in faith for various
other
results? Whose prayer will He answer? Or will His determination fluctuate
with time and with each succeeding prayer 'of faith'?
Worst of all, it implies
that God cannot be relied upon to bring about what He says
He will. He may decide to change His plan and His process at any time because
one of His creatures, obviously more intelligent and more far-sighted
than He, has suggested a better alternative to get things done.
But, if we cannot depend on His promises and on His assurances, we call
into question God's very integrity. And, if such is the case, why
pray in the first place?
But, our God is GOD! He is
the Creator! He is the Potter, and His creatures the clay! He
determines what each of them will be and how things will work out for each
and every one of them, working out all things according to His intention
and independent of the suggestions of His creatures! He knows men,
for He made them that way and there is nothing that they can do
to change it! He is 'the One Who is operating all in accord with
the counsel of His will' (Eph.1:11).
Rom.9:18-21
Consequently, then, to whom He will, He is merciful,
yet whom He will,
He is hardening.
You will be protesting to
me, then,
"Why, then, is He still
blaming? for who has withstood His intention?"
O man! who are you, to be
sure, who are answering again to God?
That which is molded will
not protest to the molder, "Why do you make me thus?"
Or has not the potter the
right over the clay,
out of the same kneading
to make one vessel, indeed, for honor, yet one for dishonor?
Nations were created by God,
even their languages are His doing (Gen.11:5-9). He decides their
destiny, specifying when they rise to influence and power and when they
weaken and fade from the scene of dominance. He foretold the beginnings
of the people of Israel, their rise to influence in Egypt, their subsequent
suppression in slavery, and their triumphant exodus to the promised land
(Gen.15:13-16), long before anyone was around to even think
of praying about it!
Act.17:26
Besides, He makes out of one every nation of mankind,
to be dwelling on all the
surface of the earth,
specifying the setting
of the seasons and the bounds of their dwelling,…
On this subject, God declares
in Scripture that humanity poses no challenge to His wisdom and supremacy.
Isa.55:8,9
RSV …my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my
ways, says the LORD.
For as the heavens are higher
than the earth,
so are my ways higher
than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Isa.55:10,11 NIV
As the rain and the snow come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for
the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that
goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish
what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
Rom.11:33-36
O, the depth of the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God!
How inscrutable are
His judgments, and untraceable His ways!
For, who knew the
mind of the Lord? or, who became His adviser?
or, who gives to
Him first, and it will be repaid him?
seeing that out of Him
and through Him and for Him is all:
To Him be the glory
for the eons! Amen!
Isa.40:13,14
Who regulates the spirit of Yahweh,
and which man is
informing Him of His counsel?
Whom does He consult?
And who is explaining
things to Him, and is teaching Him, in judgment's path?
And who is teaching
Him
knowledge, and the way of understanding is informing Him?
Or, who has given
to Him first and will be repaid by Him?
God can tell the end of any
contemporary issue right at the outset - because He had decided
beforehand
that the issue would arise, and when, and what its outcome
will be even before the eons began.
Isa.45:21 RSV
Declare and present your case; let them take counsel together!
Who told this long ago?
Who declared it of old? Was it not I, the LORD?
And there is no other god
besides me, a righteous God and a Savior;
there is none besides me.
Isa.46:10 Telling
from
the beginning, the hereafter,
and from aforetime,
what has not yet been done.
Saying, `All My counsel
shall be confirmed, and all My desire will I do.'
Ps.33:11
The counsel of Yahweh shall stand for the eon,
The designs of His heart
for generation after generation.
Num.23:19b
El is not a man that He should lie.
Nor a son of humanity that
He should feel regret.
Does He say it and
then not do it? Or speak and then not carry it out?
Isa.46:11b …
Indeed, I speak! Indeed, I will bring it about! I formed. Indeed,
I will do it.
How, then, can we have the audacity
and the gall to even suggest to God how He should go about doing things?
For, even when it concerns our salvation, it is clearly asserted that is
entirely
of God's doing from the calling to the glorifying.
2Tim.1:9
Who saves us and calls us with a holy calling,
not in accord with our
acts, but in accord with His own purpose and the grace
which is given to us in
Christ Jesus before times eonian,
1Cor.1:27-29
but the stupidity of the world God chooses,
that He may be disgracing
the wise,
and the weakness of the
world God chooses, that He may be disgracing the strong,
and the ignoble and the
contemptible things of the world God chooses,
and that which is not, that
He
may be discarding that which is,
so that no flesh at all
should
be boasting in God's sight.
Rom.8:28-30
Now we are aware that God is working all together for the
good
of those who are loving
God, who are called according to the purpose
that, whom He foreknew,
He
designates beforehand, also,
to be conformed to the image
of His Son, for Him to be Firstborn among many brethren.
Now whom He designates beforehand,
these He calls also,
and whom He calls, these
He
justifies also;
now whom He justifies, these
He
glorifies also.
Tit.3:4-7 Yet
when the kindness and fondness for humanity
of our Saviour, God, made
its advent,
not for works which are
wrought in righteousness which we do,
but according to His
mercy, He saves us,
through the bath of renascence
and renewal of holy spirit,
which He pours out
on us richly through Jesus Christ, our Saviour,
that, being justified in
that One's grace,
we may be becoming enjoyers,
in expectation, of the allotment of life eonian.
The answer to our question,
then, signals that we will have to re-assess our traditional approach
and understanding of what Christian prayer should be.
September 2001
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