If God Is Sovereign, Why Pray?

In a small, white country church in the hills of West Virginia, little 3-year-old Bobby couldn’t sit still. He fidgeted and squirmed all through the opening Scripture reading, the hymns and the offering. Despite words of correction and warning from his father, Bobby persisted in talking, making noises and crawling all over his parents. As the pastor was getting up to speak, Bobby found himself lifted in his irate father’s arms and being carried down the center aisle of the church. Bobby knew what was coming. No one in the congregation so much as raised an eyebrow -- until the child captured everyone's attention by crying out in a charming Southern accent, "Ya'll pray for me now!"

Obviously, Bobby was hoping that the prayers of the people would alter the consequences of his behavior! But, alas, they did not!

On a larger scale, another Bobby with a Southern accent called his nation to prayer with words that stir the heart, and show the depth of his character. He wrote,

Knowing that intercessory prayer is our mightiest weapon and the supreme call for all Christians today, I pleadingly urge our people everywhere to pray. Believing that prayer is the greatest contribution that our people can make in this critical hour, I humbly urge that we take time to pray--to really pray. Let there be prayer at sunup, at noonday, at sundown, at midnight--all through the day. Let us all pray for our children, our youth, our aged, our pastors, our homes. Let us pray for our churches. Let us pray for ourselves, that we may not lose the word 'concern' out of our Christian vocabulary. Let us pray for our nation. Let us pray for those who have never known Jesus Christ and redeeming love, for moral forces everywhere, for our national leaders. Let prayer be our passion. Let prayer be our practice.[i]

That “Bobby” was the one I was named after, Confederate General Robert E Lee. Of course, the prayer of his heart was also seemingly unanswered – the South lost the Civil War.

Today, as we continue our summer series “”I’ve Got A Question…” we come to a question that a single one of us wrote down and passed along to me, but is shared by many of us at one time or another. I want to read the entire question as it was presented to me, so that you can sense the heart of the person, and perhaps find yourself in their place. The question, as posed, is this:

Why pray? If God is in control and has a plan for everyone and everything, what are our prayers going to do? Like when you pray for a couple with children that are getting a divorce and they wind up getting it anyway. I understand that everyone has a free will, however, God can change hearts, change circumstances, to change the outcome. I know God has done that in my life. We have free will but God can help us change our mind. It just seems like a cop-out saying, “everyone has free will” or “Maybe that’s not the way it was supposed to be,” if our prayers are not answered.

Been there? I would imagine that at one time or another we have all wondered similar thoughts. It’s a dilemma that has been pondered by Christians from Augustine in 400AD to CS Lewis 1600 years later. The dilemma is this: On the one hand, if prayer has any affect on what happens in our world, then it seems that God is not in control, but on the other hand, if God’s plan is established and He is going to do what He is going to do, then what does it matter if we pray?

By definition, dilemmas are problematic because the evidence seems to support both arguments. Scripture clearly teaches that God’s plan is definite and fixed – He is sovereign, He knows the end from the beginning, and is aware of every minute detail in all of creation – He has ordained the rise and fall of nations, yet is aware of the smallest sparrow that falls from the sky. And yet while his plans are not subject to change or revision, we are commanded to pray, and we are taught that prayer has value – that it makes a difference…so how do these two seemingly conflicting facts relate to one another?

“Prayer Changes Nothing.” Dr. Donald Barnhouse shocked his Philadelphia Congregation with that opening statement years ago. You could have heard a pin drop in the huge, packed church! Of course, Barnhouse was trying to make his people realize that God is sovereignly in control of everything. No puny human being by uttering a few words in prayer takes charge of events and changes them. God does the shaping and the changing – He is in control.[ii]

The Bible teaches that God is sovereign over nature – In I Kings, we see Elijah prophesying that there would be no rain for three and a half years, and it was so. In Psalm 104, we see that the animals of the field bow to the will of God. In I Kings 17, God has Ravens bring food to Elijah – He controls them! Daniel, Isaiah and the rest of the prophets make the point that the kings and nations of the earth act according to the divine will of God.

God’s sovereignty extends to individuals as well. In Psalm 31:15, David writes, “My times are in your hands, deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me.” In Galatians 1:14&15, Paul says that he was “set apart from birth” and called to proclaim the gospel of Christ. But it’s not just our destiny that is in God’s hands. Even “seemingly random occurrences” are supervised by the Lord. Proverbs 16:33 says that we may roll the dice, but “every decision is from the Lord.” In I Samuel chapter 24, King Saul enters into a cave to relieve himself – a pretty random act. It happens to be the very cave where David is hiding from the king. David spares the life of the king of Israel, and later, Saul says, “The Lord delivered me into your hands, but you did not kill me.” Saul realized that even his choice of rest room was ordained by God!

Romans 8:28 is a verse that we all quote when things are seemingly out of control, right? “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose.” God works in ALL things – He is in control of every situation, every occurrence – even in the sinful acts of men – such as Pharaoh’s hard heart, David’s census of his army and Judas’ betrayal of Jesus.[iii]

But with that being said, it is equally clear that the Sovereign God of the Universe works in a partnership with human beings. It is obvious from Scripture that God often will not act if we do not do our part. Just a quick review of the gospel of Mark will show this. In chapter 2, we read of a huge crowd that had pressed in on Jesus, so much so that a group of persistent men carried a friend up on the roof of the house, tore a hole in it, and lowered their friend down. Verse 5 reads, “When Jesus saw THEIR faith, he said to the paralyzed man, ‘I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.’” The healing of the man was obviously connected to the faith and action of the friends.

In Mark chapter 5, we read of two events in Jesus life. In verses 21-24, Jarius, a synagogue ruler, came to Jesus and said, My daughter is dying, please come and put your hands on her and heal her.” Verse 24 reads, “So Jesus went with him.” “SO Jesus went with him…” To me, that begs the question – what if the man had not asked? While Jesus was making his way to Jarius’ house, a woman in the crowd reached out and touched the hem of his garment, and was healed of a hemorrhage that had plagued her for 12 years, and she was healed. Jesus knew that power had left Him, and he turned and asked who had touched Him. The woman came forward, and Jesus said, “Your faith has healed you.” Her healing was dependent upon her faith – her act of reaching out to Him was what facilitated her healing.

In Mark chapter 9 there is a great episode that features a boy who has been plagued by evil spirits. The father of the boy had come to the disciples, but they were unable to cast out the demon. When Jesus arrived, the dad kneeled before Jesus and begged him to deliver his son. The dad said, If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” Jesus said, “If I can? Everything is possible if you believe.” The father says a great line – “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” He believed, or he wouldn’t be there – but there was a part of him that doubted – and he confessed that to Jesus. Jesus was pleased with that answer – because He drove out the demon. Later, when the disciples asked why they were frustrated when they tried to deliver the boy, Jesus said, “This kind can come out only by prayer.” Hey, PRAYER CHANGES THINGS!

But perhaps the most amazing passage that demonstrates the effect of our faith on God’s action is found in Mark chapter 6. It was early in Jesus ministry, and His notoriety had been spreading all around Israel, when He paid a visit to Nazareth, his hometown. The people there have heard about his miracles and powerful teaching, but they skeptical – and they question the validity of His claims. “Isn’t this that carpenter?” they ask. “Isn’t this Mary’s son?” They did not believe He could possibly be an important teacher, much less the Messiah, the Son of God.

Verses 5&6 are the key. They read, “[Jesus] could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And He was amazed at their lack of faith.” There are two shocking statements in these two verses – “He could not do any miracles,” and “He was amazed.” He “could not?!” Jesus “could not?” How could that be? Well, it seems that their lack of faith that went so deep that they wouldn’t even bring their sick to Him and Jesus was unable to do the miracles, because they were unwilling to ask! Without faith, without belief in Jesus’ identity and power, we won’t seek His intervention, and He won’t be able to act.

So how does this all come together? If God is God, then by definition, He is in control, and the things that He wants to happen are going to happen. If I’m asking for something good – then a good God is going to do it. If what I am asking for is bad, then a good and wise God will not bring it to pass. So if its going to happen anyway – why pray at all?

If we us that argument against prayer, then we could build a similar case against doing everything in life. Why wash your hands? If God wants them clean, can’t He just make them clean without you washing them? And if wants them dirty, then no amount of soap is going to get them clean. Why go to work? If God wants you to eat, have a home, and drive a car, can’t He miraculously supply food, lodging and transportation for you and your family? Why wear a coat in winter? Why ask someone to pass you the salt? If God wants you to be warm, or have salt, it will simply come to you by Divine intervention! [iv]

Obviously, God is in control, but He has chosen, in His sovereignty, to give us what French Philosopher Pascal called, “The dignity of causality.” He gave us the distinction of being able to influence the course of events in this world. He did so in the Garden of Eden, when He gave Adam the responsibility to care for the Garden, and to have dominion over the earth. Adam had, and all humans since him, have had a measure of “cause and effect” over God’s creation.[v] God created both physical action and prayer for that purpose. To allow us to make a difference.

It’s not a question of either God is in control, or we can make a difference, but God is in control, AND we can make a difference.

By giving us some small role in the events of the world, God requires us to wash our own hands, work to provide for our own living, and decide to wear a coat in winter to stay warm. It is a privilege and a responsibility that is ours as His greatest creation, and part of that causality is prayer. God has allowed us, as is clear from the Scriptures we looked at earlier, to have an impact on His work on earth. When James writes, “The prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well,” it is obviously God who does the healing, but it is done through the agency of our prayers. I believe the same is true when we pray about a job, direction for purchasing a home, or the salvation of our children.

God does not, however, abdicate His authority by allowing us to pray to Him. He retains discretionary power over the affairs of this world. He alone is eternal, and sovereign, and knows what is best from an eternal perspective. If he simply gave us carte blanche, and granted every request we posed without consideration, prayer would be what CS Lewis called, “an activity too dangerous for men…” Imagine if every prayer were answered! It would be utter chaos! You may remember the scene from the film, Bruce Almighty, when Bruce, because he is overwhelmed by people’s requests, simply says, “yes” to them all, and the whole world is sent into turmoil! God alone knows what is best. We do not. Let me illustrate with a story I picked up from Chip Ingram last February.[vi]

Suppose a man has a job as a railroad operator, controlling train traffic by switching tracks. Day after day, he sits in the little booth high above the rail yard, watching carefully as speeding trains rumble through. They depend on him to prevent accidents.

One day, the operators five year old son comes to visit his father from their nearby home. Seeing dad up in the control booth, he runs shouting and waving across the tracks. Just as his dad notices him, the boy trips and gets his foot caught between a switching track. He’s stuck.

The man leaps to his feet to help his boy, but a piercing whistle gets his attention. He looks to the left in horror and sees a speeding train a few hundred yards away. Even if it braked immediately, it wouldn’t stop in time to save his son.

The father is forced to make a split second decision. He can’t reach the boy in time. He can shift the tracks and derail the train, killing many of the people on board, but saving his son, or he can allow the passengers to continue on safely, oblivious to the tragic loss as the operator watches his son die on the tracks.

What is the right choice? The great philosopher, Spock, in Star Trek II The Wrath of Kahn, said, “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few – or the one.” So obviously, the man must allow his son to die, to save the lives of the many innocents on the train, right? Most of us would say that’s the right decision – even though it would be the most painful for the father. But I disagree – I believe that it is impossible for you or I to know what the right thing to do is – because we don’t have all the information.

What if that boy is destined to grow up to discover the genetic key that will eliminate cancer? He could save literally millions of lives – and a few who die on the train would pale in comparison. But what if someone on the train is destined to make that discovery? We just don’t know. The “what ifs” pile up, and the truth is we will never have enough information to know what is the right thing. The only person who can make the right decision is the One who knows all things about all people, and how they will impact one another each moment of their life, and beyond their own lifetime.

We think that we know the right thing. We think its obvious. Of course its right to pray for a couple to not get divorced – so we pray for that – but are there some things worse than divorce? Yes – like abuse, neglect and even murder. Could the child of a divorce we are praying for God to avert be so inspired by his own pain and experience that he becomes an advocate for healing marriages, and saves thousands of couples and children from the pain he endured? It’s possible. Sometimes what we think is the obvious right thing is NOT the best from God’s perspective. That is not a cop-out – that is reality!

Consider for a moment: do you think that Mary prayed for God to prevent her son, Jesus, from crucifixion? You’d better believe any mother would pray for their child’s deliverance from such cruelty. Is it possible that the disciples prayed for God to deliver Jesus from the scourging, the pulling out of his beard, the punches and beatings that He took? Of course they did! But were they praying for the right thing? NO! It seemed to them that they were – but to us we know it was not. Their prayers, thought understandable, were counter to God’s eternal plan.

So why pray? We have said that on one hand, we could say that prayer changes nothing, while on the other hand we can see that prayer changes things, but I believe that the primary reason to pray is that Prayer Changes ME! It changes me in at least two ways:

Prayer is, by its very nature, an act in humility, an act of submission. When I ask anyone for anything, it implies that I am needy, and that the person to whom I make my request can meet that need. Like the father with the demon-possessed son, or the woman with the hemorrhage of 12 years, my coming to Jesus shows that I have a measure of belief, and a sense that He is ultimately in control of events. I seek what I desire, but I yield to His sovereign knowledge of what is ultimately best in every given situation.

We can have assurance of this profound truth – and I want every one here to take these words home with you today: God orchestrates or allows only the best possible results, by the best possible means, to accomplish the highest possible purpose, for the longest time, for the most people in and around your life. Only God can make the right choice, and when I pray, I am yielding to His sovereignty.

So why do we pray? If God is only going to do what is right, best and greatest, why pray. In Luke chapter 18:1, we have the final word. Luke writes, “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” The opposite of prayer is giving up! The King James says, “they should always pray and not lose heart.” When I pray, I am reminded that God is on the throne, that he will always orchestrate the best possible results by the best possible means, to accomplish the highest possible purpose, for the longest time, for the most people. Without that reminder, I will lose heart – I will be hopeless. But when I pray, as Jesus taught, and never give up, I will have the hope and the assurance that God is on the throne, that He is in control, and that awareness gives me confidence to face every circumstance. When life is confusing, and seems to be going in all the wrong directions, I can anchor my hope in the firm knowledge that God, in His infinite wisdom, is doing the right, best think all the time. If there were a better way to do it, He already would be.

God has you best interest in mind – all the time. And the first thing that he has for you is a relationship with Him. Do you have a personal, day to day, moment by moment friendship with God? Jesus died to give you forgiveness and an abundant life – confident that He is in control and doing the best thing for you all the time – but He gives you the dignity of causality even in this area – you need to respond. Will you accept the forgiveness, liberty and life that comes from knowing Jesus as your Savior and Lord. Your first and most important prayer is this one: “Lord, Jesus, come into my life!”

[i] Found on several Internet quotation sites, including: http://www.bible.org/

[v] Ibid.