Questions: Prayer

1. Why do we pray if God’s going to do His will anyways?

Exodus 32:11 seems to say that we might even be able to change God’s mind.

I would probably say that there’s little evidence theologically that God could change His mind, but that is an argument.

Here are a few reasons to pray even if God’s will be done

The Bible tells us to. Luke 11:2, Jesus says, “When you pray” you’re supposed to pray

James 5:13 says that if we’re in trouble, pray

The nature of prayer

Prayer is not always asking for something, that’s a pretty sucky prayer life. Prayer is supposed to be you talking to God, not you always asking for something

It’s good for us.

Calvin writes, “ Still it is very important for us to call upon him: First, that our hearts may be fired with a zealous and burning desire ever to seek, love, and serve him, while we become accustomed in every need to flee to him as to a sacred anchor. Secondly, that there may enter our hearts no desire and no “wish at all of which we should be ashamed to make him a witness, while we learn to set all our wishes before his eyes, and even to pour out our whole hearts. Thirdly, that we be prepared to receive his benefits with true gratitude of heart and thanksgiving, benefits that our prayer reminds us come from his hand.” Inst. III:XX:3

We are benefited by our prayer, so that even if God’s going to do whatever His will is, He still works in our heart so that we grow when we pray.

2. What do I do if God doesn’t answer me.

In any yes or no question, there are technically three answers: Yes, no, and not yet.

Therefore, we have a few different options in understanding what God might be saying when He doesn’t seem to answer your prayer

Not yet: 1 Samuel 1

Hannah had to deal with a lot of pain before God answered her prayer. She might have thought the whole time that she wasn’t going to get answered by God, but what she didn’t realize was that God has his own timing.

My experience with becoming a pastor

No: 1 Kings 19, 2 Samuel 12:15

Sometimes, God says no because He has something better planned.

Elijah wanted to die, but God said no because He had something better. Elijah got to hear the voice of God, and actually didn’t die because of his dedication to the Lord. in 2 Kings 2:11

Sometimes, God says no because of the consequences of sin

David had murdered somebody, he had profaned the name of God, taken advantage of the authority given to him by God, and then lied about it. God told him that there would be consequences for that.

He still prayed for God to avoid this, and yet God didn’t answer his prayer. While that’s hard, that doesn’t mean that God is evil, it means that there is justice, and it also means that the world is broken and it needs to be fixed.

In all of this, we have a few options

Like David, we can accept that God’s understanding is better than mine, and that His will is ultimately greater than mine.

We can also expectantly wait for God to deliver something better because we have to understand that we don’t fully understand the will of God. John 14:13 says that anything we ask for in the name of Jesus will be saved, but that doesn’t mean that everything will be answered, but that everything that we ask for in the good will of God will be answered.

Finally, we have to understand that we are only here because God said no. Jesus asked in Luke 22:41-44 to get to avoid the cross, and the Father said no, because even through all of the pain, Jesus/God were willing to do what needed to be done for you.

Questions

1. Do you ever feel like your prayer isn't being listened to by God? What do you do when that happens?

2. What is the most common reason that you pray?

3. How can you build a better prayer life this week?