April 12 2017_The Goodness of God in Prayer
Parallel Passages
Does Prayer Change Things?
How can prayer change things? God, we know, is absolutely sovereign. He has predestined everything that comes to pass. Since God is sovereign, why pray?
First of all, God’s sovereignty does not interfere with our prayers of praise and adoration. God does not need our praise, but it is good for us to praise him. Moreover, God does not need to hear us confess our sins, but it is needful for us to do it. In these areas of adoration and confession there is clearly no conflict between prayer and the sovereignty of God.
The question arises in connection with prayers of intercession and petition. If God predestines all things, why ask him to change things? This is a question that only arises in a context of abstract philosophy because anyone who knows the Bible knows God commands us to pray for things to change. Thus, our speculation is somewhat idle because God demands and requests our petitions.
How can prayer change things? God, we know, is absolutely sovereign. He has predestined everything that comes to pass. Since God is sovereign, why pray?
First of all, God’s sovereignty does not interfere with our prayers of praise and adoration. God does not need our praise, but it is good for us to praise him. Moreover, God does not need to hear us confess our sins, but it is needful for us to do it. In these areas of adoration and confession there is clearly no conflict between prayer and the sovereignty of God.
The question arises in connection with prayers of intercession and petition. If God predestines all things, why ask him to change things? This is a question that only arises in a context of abstract philosophy because anyone who knows the Bible knows God commands us to pray for things to change. Thus, our speculation is somewhat idle because God demands and requests our petitions.
Remember, for instance, the time Peter was thrown into prison. We read that “the church was earnestly praying to God for him” (Acts 12:5). The next verses tell us an angel of the Lord delivered Peter from prison.
5:1 God the good Creator of all things, in His infinite power and wisdom, upholds, directs, arranges and governs all creatures and things,1 from the greatest to the least,2 by His perfectly wise and holy providence, to the purpose for which they were created. He governs according to His infallible foreknowledge and the free and unchangeable counsel of His own will. His providence leads to the praise of the glory of His wisdom, power, justice, infinite goodness and mercy.3
5:2 All things come to pass unchangeably and certainly in relation to the foreknowledge and decree of God,4 who is the first cause. Thus, nothing happens to anyone by chance or outside of God’s providence.5 Yet by the same providence God arranges all things to occur according to the nature of second causes, either necessarily, freely, or in response to other causes.6
5:3 In His ordinary providence, God makes use of means,7 though He is free to work apart from them,8 beyond them9 and contrary to them10 at His pleasure.
The Command Within This Passage
The Promise Within This Passage
The Principles of this Passage
Closing Comments - J.C. Ryle
We learn for one thing, from these verses, the importance of perseverance in prayer. This lesson is conveyed to us in the simple parable, commonly called the “Friend at Midnight.” We are there reminded what man can obtain from man by dint of importunity. Selfish and indolent as we naturally are, we are capable of being roused to exertion by continual asking. The man who would not give three loaves at midnight for friendship’s sake, at length gave them to save himself the trouble of being further entreated. The application of the parable is clear and plain. If importunity succeeds so well between man and man, how much more may we expect it to obtain mercies when used in prayer to God.
The lesson is one which we shall do well to remember. It is far more easy to begin a habit of prayer than to keep it up. Myriads of professing Christians are regularly taught to pray when they are young, and then gradually leave off the practice as they grow up. Thousands take up a habit of praying for a little season, after some special mercy or special affliction, and then little by little become cold about it, and at last lay it aside. The secret thought comes stealing over men’s minds, that “it is no use to pray.” They see no visible benefit from it. They persuade themselves that they get on just as well without prayer. Laziness and unbelief prevail over their hearts, and at last they altogether “restrain prayer before God.” (Job 15:4.)
Let us resist this feeling, whenever we feel it rising within us. Let us resolve by God’s grace, that nowever poor and feeble our prayers may seem to be, we will pray on. It is not for nothing that the Bible tells us so frequently, to “watch unto prayer,” to “pray without ceasing,” to “continue in prayer,” to “pray always and not to faint,” to be “instant in prayer.” These expressions all look one way. They are all meant to remind us of a danger and to quicken us to a duty. The time and way in which our prayers shall be answered are matters which we must leave entirely to God. But that every petition which we offer in faith shall certainly be answered, we need not doubt. Let us lay our matters before God again and again, day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year. The answer may be long in coming, as it was in the cases of Hannah and Zacharias. (1 Sam. 1:27; Luke 1:13.) But though it tarry, let us pray on and wait for it. At the right time it will surely come and not tarry.