Why Pray

Dear Victor,

Why should I pray about anything? If God is sovereign and everything is pre-destined, isn't praying for anything or about anything pretty much an exercise in futility?

Prayer Skeptic

Dear Skeptic,

Your logic is only partly correct. Yes it is true that God is sovereign and in control of everything. But it appears that you misunderstand what pre-destiny really is ... and isn't. God said in Jeremiah 29:11 that only He knows the plans He has for us. He mentions there that His plans for us are to give us a good future, with hope. He does not say how this will come about.

What we do know about God, from studying His character and nature in both the Old and New Testaments, is that He is very much a purpose-driven God. Everything He does or doesn't do is purposeful. So whatever God allows to happen, makes happen, or prevents is for a good reason. We are assured of that throughout Scripture. Now stop and thing about the possibility that God might change His mind. This would also not be without its purpose. If God were to change His mind, he would be purposeful about it.

There is sufficient evidence throughout Scripture that God changes His mind. Especially in the Old Testament, we see numerous examples of God being willing to talk things over. He demonstrates that He's willing to consider all sides of the story. He can sometimes be convinced to take things another direction. That doesn't mean He changes His original purpose or plan. But it does mean He may be willing to go about it another way. There is power in the prayers of godly men and women. This is as core of a belief as is the resurrection of Christ to Christianity.

So why should you pray? Two reasons, really. First, there is power in prayer. Prayer can change things. Second, God commands us to pray about everything, without ceasing. So beyond the hope dimension (i.e., hoping for a different outcome), there is the obedience dimension. Do you want to be obedient to God? Do you hope for a different outcome to a particular situation or scenario? Then you must pray.