Recently a friend asked me a very tough question about why we pray.  She wanted to know if we are trying to move the heart of God when we pray, or will He do what He wants in spite of our prayers?  I’ve had a similar question as I tried to reconcile praying for what I want to happen in a situation while also praying for God’s will to be done. 

One reason that prayer is so hard to understand is because of what we know about who God is.

God Knows Everything

The Bible teaches that God is omniscient, which means that He knows everything that has happened, everything that is happening, and everything that will happen.  The Bible says that God sees everyone in every place (Hebrews 4:13; Proverbs 15:3; Job 28:24).  He even knows what’s in our hearts (1 John 3:20). 

We see time as linear.  We can see what’s happening right at this moment, and we know some of what’s happened in the past, but we can’t see into the future.  Also, we are only able to be in one place at a time.  However, God is outside of time and space.  He’s able to see the whole time line of history at once.  He’s also omnipresent, able to be in every place at the same time.  That’s how He can know everything.

God Planned Everything

The Bible also teaches about the providence of God.  Not only does God know what is going to happen, He has planned or ordained everything that will happen.  The prophet Isaiah writes, “I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose’” (Isaiah 46:9b-10, ESV).  We also read, “Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in Your book and planned before a single one of them began” (Psalm 139:16, HCSB).  God has ordained every event of history, including each event of our lives, and nothing can stop His plan.

God Does Not Change

Finally, the Bible teaches that God is immutable, meaning He does not change (Malachi 3:6).  Not only does His character not change, He never changes His mind (Number 23:19).  Because He’s perfect, He can’t change for the better, or become more perfect.  If He changed for the worse, then He would no longer be perfect, and therefore would no longer be God.  God is not able to change.

If these three facts about God are true (and they are) then you might think that there is no need to pray.  God knows what we need, He has already planned what will happen, and He can’t change His mind, so what good will our prayers do? 

God is not a cosmic vending machine—we insert our prayer and out comes the answer of our choice. 

Before we answer that, we need to be sure that we have an accurate understanding of prayer.  God is not a cosmic vending machine—we insert our prayer and out comes the answer of our choice.  When we pray, we are not trying to change God’s mind or bend His will to line up with ours.  In fact, the opposite is true.  Missionary E. Stanley Jones said, “Prayer is not pulling God to my will, but the aligning of my will to the will of God.”  When we pray, we need to be sure that our prayers are not selfish, but are in keeping with the will of God.  The more time we spend with God and the more we learn about Him, the easier it is to pray according to His will.

Our prayers actually do accomplish something.  It is important to pray, for several reasons.

God Commands Us to Pray

We should pray because God commands us to pray, which should be reason enough.  If God repeatedly tells us to pray, there must be a reason.  Consider the following verses:

• Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17
• Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  Philippians 4:6
• Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”  Matthew 26:41

God Works Through Our Prayer

We pray because God has commanded it, but we also pray because prayer is the means that God has chosen to bring about certain events.  James writes, “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (James 5:16b).  God chooses to work through our prayers to bring about His will.  Certain events would not even happen if they weren’t prayed for.  For example, if Hannah hadn’t prayed fervently for a son, she never would have had Samuel (1 Samuel 1:10-11, 19-20). 

God Has Ordained Our Prayer

How can events already be ordained, yet God works through our prayer?  Because God has ordained the prayers along with the events.  According to Paul Rezkalla from The Gospel Coalition, God “plans the destination and the entire journey to get there.”  God doesn’t just ordain large events; He ordains the small decisions that lead to that larger event. 

Let’s say Mary is in a car accident.  If God ordains that she will survive, then He has also ordained the birth and training of the firemen who cut her out of her mangled car.  He ordained the birth of the EMT workers that will be on the scene to treat her, and the surgeon at the hospital.  He also ordained the prayers of friends and family on her behalf.  All of that works together to accomplish His will—namely Mary’s survival.

Prayer Allows Us to Work with God

Prayer also gives us the opportunity to work with God in accomplishing His will.  God doesn’t need our help, but He gives us the privilege of being a part of His work.  For many people, that’s the primary way for them to be involved in much of God’s work.  We may not be able to go on mission trips, but we can pray for missionaries.  We can’t personally do much to help impoverished people around the world, but we can pray for others to help them.  We can’t do anything to save a person’s soul, but we can plead with God to save our lost loved ones.  There are so many needs that we can’t meet on our own, but we can all pray for those needs to be met.

In spite of all I’ve said, I know that prayer still may be confusing.  I’m still struggling to work it out.  Dr. John MacArthur, in his book Alone with God, says, “When we pray sincerely and persistently as Christ has taught us—can our will override God’s?  When we don’t pray, does His will fail? The plain fact is none of us can comprehend precisely how prayer functions in the infinite mind and plan of God.” 

If you still have questions about prayer, you might find the following resources helpful:

“Why Pray if God Has Already Decided Everything?” by Paul Rezkalla–The Gospel Coalition

“Prayer Has Its Reasons” by Robert Velarde–Focus on the Family

“Tough Times Happen-What to Do When God Says NO” by Lydia Quillin–She Lives Worthy

Alone with God by John MacArthur