Well, if prayer doesn't change (at the least) God's actions, then why pray? And If you pray, believing that prayer changes things, then what does it change?
I think I know why some people doubt that prayer changes God's will. They believe His will cannot change because He can't change. A perfect being doesn't need to change.
But to say that prayer won't change God's will is to have a limited view of that will. What is God's will? A monolithic structure? Is God tied to only one way of accomplishing His purposes?
In his wonderful, concise analysis called The Will of God, Leslie D. Weatherhead makes more sense on this issue than most writers. He says the will of God h
as many facets: God's "intentional will", His "circumstantial will" and His "ultimate will".God's original intent (will) was that mankind live in a perfect paradise in complete harmony with Divinity. But Satanic evil, along with man's sovereign choices, hijacked that will.
So now God works from His "circumstantial will" - His will as adjusted within a universe now corrupted by toxic evil.
As an example, Weatherhead mentions illness. Why do we fight with all our prayers and medical skill against illness, and then claim it was "God's will" if the person dies? Were we fighting God's will all along?
It was never "God's will" that the world be swallowed up in sickness, death, suffering and evil, but now that it has been, His will works to reverse the curse.
Simple example: King Hezekiah became ill (not God's intentional will from the beginning) and prayed. He was healed (God's circumstantial will). If he had not prayed, he would not have been healed.(See 2 Kings 20).
God's "will" waited on Hezekiah's will. When he made his choice to pray, God's will acted.
Yes, God's "circumstantial will" - in which we now exist - can be changed by prayer... by prayers that change His working in particular situations where humans have a choice.
7 comments:
Thanks for expanding! Appreciate and value your writing.
Thanks, Tucker. Blessings on your work at thetractorcab!
This is a very difficult question to answer. It often becomes a "metaphysical/philosophical" question which removes it from a Scriptural basis. The Bible does not view an answer to prayer a "God changing His mind." The world to the Hebrews was full of paradox. Explanation was not what they were interesting in. Prayer was based upon "trust" which we would reference as "faith." Prayer is surrender to Him and a declaration of His good character even if the outcome is not what we were looking for or expecting. Our questions and expectations come from a Western perspective which demands "explanation." Justify this to me. These mindsets could not be more opposed to each other.
A.I.
Good point. But I still think some of this question comes from a human viewpoint, not just west vs. east.
The reason for discussing it is simple. If prayer changes nothing, why waste time asking?
The Hebrews (including Jesus) seemed certain that Jehovah would hear and He would act.
Prayer is not intended to change God's will it is intended to change our will. Prayer does change things... it changes us. The only way according to the scriptures that God will hear and answer our prayers is when we pray "according to His will."
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