Prayer and the sovereignty of God
Every thoughtful person who prays has to face certain inevitable questions. These have to do with the biblical doctrine of the sovereignty of God. According to his eternal purpose, God has decreed all that comes to pass. This is clear from such verses as Daniel 4:35 and Ephesians 1:11. Now, if God is sovereign, why should I pray? Similarly, what does prayer actually do? Is it true that prayer changes things? Does it move the hand that guides the world?
TOO NARROW
Perhaps the first thing that needs to be said about such questions is that they presuppose too narrow an idea of prayer. Prayer is more than simply asking for things. It is communion with God and includes confession of sin, adoration of the triune God, praise and thanksgiving. These vital elements of prayer ought not to be forgotten. The apparent problem of the sovereignty of God is strictly confined to intercession and supplication.
SIMPLEST ANSWER
The simplest answer to anyone who questions whether they ought to pray, even though God has decreed all that will come to pass, is that this is the plain command of God's word. 'And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers', writes Paul (Ephesians 6:18). The Lord himself was constantly in prayer whilst on earth. He is to be our example. For Samuel Storms, 'The fact is that God has commanded that I pray, therefore that is what I must do.'
This is a good place to start but more can be said.
CONDITION, NOT CAUSE
A A Hodge points out that the great mistake many make when it comes to God's decree is concentrating on parts instead of the whole. A common but superficial argument against belief in election is that it will stifle evangelistic fervour. Many, by their words and actions, have demonstrated this to be untrue. The God who elects sinners also provides the means whereby they are converted. In a similar way, we must see that our prayers are as much under God's sovereignty as any answers to them. The same God who has decreed the end has also decreed that this end shall be reached through his appointed means and one of them is prayer (Pink). Hodge shows the shallowness of thinking some show when they ask, on their reasoning, 'If God has eternally decreed that you should live what is the use of your breathing?' In order to teach us, the Lord has so arranged things that we either use the means or go without the ends. Prayer is a condition of blessing not its cause.
This is confirmed in the Scriptures. In Ezekiel 36 blessing is prophesied for Israel, then in verse 37 we read, 'This also will I let the House of Israel ask me to do for them: I will increase their men like a flock' (NASB). Prayer is clearly part of God's sovereign purpose. Similar things are found in Jeremiah 29:11,12 and Zechariah 10:6, 13:9. We also have the reactions of Daniel and Elijah recorded when they realised God's word was about to be fulfilled. They did not sit back, they earnestly prayed! (see Daniel 9:2,3 and 1 Kings 18:42). The design of prayer is not that God's will may be altered but that it may be accomplished (Pink).
'INSPIRER AND HEARER'
A further point to remember is that the desire to pray is itself God's gift. The initiative comes from on high. Effective prayers start in heaven and are sent down by God himself (Kelly). The Holy Spirit stirs us up to pray and seek our Father's face. He gives us the spirit of supplication to begin with.
PURPOSE OF PRAYER
Such considerations enable us to put the purpose of prayer into a proper biblical perspective. The purpose of prayer is not to inform God, much less to instruct him. How absurd! Rather, we are confessing our sense of need. It is for our sakes we pray, not for God's. He knows what is in my mind and I have the privilege of articulating to him what is there (Sproul).
Calvin lists six purposes:
1. It fires us with desire to seek, love and serve him. 'We flee to him as a sacred anchor.
2. It purifies those desires as we pour out our whole hearts.
3. It leads to true gratitude. We recognise where our blessings come from.
4. When prayers are answered we are led to meditate on his kindness more ardently.
5. We embrace with greater delight those things which we acknowledge to have been obtained by prayers.
6. It reminds us that God is ever present to help and defend us.
James Hastings maintains: 'Our wants are for the sake of coming into communion with God, our eternal need ... That we should receive what we ask in respect of our lower needs is not God's end in making us pray, for he could give us everything without that. To bring his child to his knee, God withholds that man may ask.'
'Prayer is a confession of creature weakness. Yea, of helplessness ... the acknowledgement of our need' (Pink). As in all things God's honour and glory is the chief thing and this means submission on our part.
Our Lord taught us to pray: Your will be done and left us the example of Gethsemane. We know God's revealed will in his word but his secret will, his decree, we do not know. The promise of 1 John 5:14 refers to the secret will. It cannot mean that anything a believer asks that is in line with Scripture will be done. It is when we ask according to God's secret will that he hears us. Strictly speaking, every true prayer in faith receives an answer. However, the answer is not always what we would wish or expect. Paul's prayers seemed to go unanswered until he learned: My grace is sufficient. We do not tell the Lord what to do but we express our needs, confident the Father knows what you need before you ask.
ARGUING WITH GOD
In emphasising the reflex benefits of prayer to the worshipper, there is the danger of accepting the psychologist's view that prayer does you good. B M Palmer warns: If prayer is nothing more; than offering good advice to oneself then it is a mockery to offer it to God ... If the attention be drawn from (God) to consider what effect the exercise is to produce on ourselves, in that instant it ceases to be prayer and resolves itself into pious meditation'.
It is nothing short of tragic when a supposed fidelity to the doctrine of God's sovereignty serves only to paralyse a man's praying. Jeremiah 15:1 makes abundantly clear that prayer, in and of itself, cannot avail. But elsewhere it is made clear that fervent pleading is of great worth in God's sight. Abraham, Jacob, Moses and others stand as beacons to us pointing to the need of earnest supplication. Douglas Kelly emphasises how such men argued for God to act in line with his character and show mercy. Surely God honours such prayers still today .... He does not change.
CONCLUSION
We do not come to some fickle deity who changes like the wind but to the omnipotent and immutable God. 'Prayer', said Luther, 'is not overcoming God's reluctance but laying hold of his willingness'.
Thou art coming to a King,
Large petitions with thee bring;
For his grace and power are such
None can ever ask too much. (John Newton)
