My journey was carefully planned by My Father. This is the short version of how His plan unfolded so far. I am starting at the end:
I would never have landed at Eleos, had it not been part of my youngest son’s journey. To play rugby, is part of his calling. I married his father and was given two talented sons (genes from both sides of a ‘sporty’ family). In high school, a nasty teacher had her final say and made the way for this son of mine to change schools. Here, I met new friends. Through my divorce, I moved towns, became real good friends with these sisters and could even assist one of them going through a divorce herself. It has been these friends who put me on Eleos’ path – God’s plan for my life.
My questions today may sound silly to some of you, especially after He revealed this to me, but the overthinkers may get it. After a terrible loss by my son’s team about a month ago, a few questions rose in my mind. I have prayed fervently and very specifically for God’s guidance, accuracy, strength, wisdom, vision, that He will get the glory, etc. I prayed, praised, and thanked Him for His blessing and favor on the day. I believed, but then I did not see any of my requests granted. It made me think. Maybe some of you have also been here.
Why should we pray if God already has a plan? Will God’s plan work out whether we pray or not? Will prayer make a difference? If we are assured that God Himself is working out His plan for me, why should we believe in the power of prayer? It sounds like a bit of a contradiction. So many questions, so little answers.
Can some of these questions be reconciled? These questions are too deep a mystery for our human mind to understand. On one hand, there is a predetermined plan, but on the other hand we are also taught that prayer changes everything.
“For 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.” (Isaiah 55:8,9)
“The effective and fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16)
Here are a few examples to proof my point: Elijah prayed that it would not rain; and it did not rain. He prayed again and it rained. God responded to Abraham’s persistent prayers for Sodom. God gave King Hezekiah fifteen extra years of life in answer to prayer. Moses prayed for food and water and Hannah prayed for a child. God responds to prayer.
It is something we cannot possibly explain and pondering on this will only be a waste of time, energy and faith. I have concluded that we are God’s assistants on earth. From the day He created Adam, God intended for humankind to reign and rule over everything. It is His will that we participate with Him in working out His eternal plan.
Some things in our lives have happened only because they were prayed for; they would not have happened if they were not prayed for - prayer changes the future. We can never presume God will grant us apart from prayer what He has ordained to grant us only by means of prayer. The events God had already determined came to pass. But God also determined that His children would pray for all these events to bring them to pass.
“We must never presume God will grant us apart from prayer what he has ordained to grant us only by means of prayer.” – Sam Storms
Yes, God has determined all outcomes, but God has also determined the means by which those outcomes will take place. To say we don’t need to pray because God has determined all outcomes is as ridiculous as saying we don’t need to take medicine, or work for a living, because God has determined all outcomes.
If God has determined someone will be healed of a disease, then He has also determined the prayers on that person’s behalf, He has also determined which doctors would be born to assist in the healing process. God knows when and how we would accept Him as our Savior, who we will meet along our journey, and how it will affect what we have been called for. God ordains our prayers, the ends, and the means. He includes us in His work. Our prayers make things happen. There are events that will not happen, souls that will not be saved, people who will not heal, unless we pray for them. This alone should get us on our knees.
To add to this, here are 5 trustworthy reasons to pray:
1. Prayer is a command of God
As children of God, we are commanded to pray. Thus, in obedience to Him, we must pray (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). The Bible says that we are to pray without ceasing and that praying is the will of God for us to do so. God desires His will (His plan) to be done here on earth as it is in Heaven, as the model prayer reads in Matthew 6:10. We partner with God when we pray.
2. Prayer combats evil
When we pray, we give God permission to act on our behalf, because God has given us a free will. When Adam and Eve sinned, it gave Satan a legal right to be here, trying to counter God’s plans. As believers we have dominion over the enemy, Satan. And we must pray to combat his evil schemes so that God’s plans go unhindered.
3. Prayer is communication with God
When we pray, God hears us, and He responds (Jeremiah 33:3)
4. Prayer brings salvation
Everyone has a choice. We have a free will and a choice to accept the free gift of salvation or reject it. We are given a desire for God through prayer.
“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9 NIV)
5. Prayer invites God’s help
James 4:2 says that we often go without because we do not ask God for what we need. We can pray for God’s wisdom and discernment.
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” (James 1:5 KJV)
It is not God who changes through our prayers, it is our hearts. I pray the above words provide some clarity to the question as to “why do we pray if God has a plan?”
May we never cease to pray! May we trust that God knows exactly what He is doing!
Comments