If God is sovereign and knows all things in advance, can prayers change the outcome? What does Jesus tell us about praying that should guide us with all our prayers in what we know as “The Lord’s Prayer”? We need to understand what He says before the text of the prayer, and to know it is a model for praying, not something to be recited in place of personal prayers.
Did you ever ask your mom to change her mind about your punishment after she said her mind was made up? That discussion usually involves promises to make changes to get a second chance. Admitting your failures and working on making better decisions is part of the bargain, along with how sorry you are.
Prayers are conversations with God and not just “wish lists” that we use when we want something to happen. We need to give thanks every day for whatever we have, including another day to live. We sometimes say, “If it does not kill you, it will make you stronger.” It is the problems in our lives that help develop our character and show us how far we have come in our walk with Christ.
Sometimes we pray for things that could be called miracles, but most of the time the request seems reasonable. “Your will be done” is at the beginning of “The Lord’s Prayer” for a reason. We need to remember that God knows everything, including all possible outcomes and how others are affected. We see one chess move we want to make, and He sees every move to the end of the match. If we are praying for someone who may be dying, the miracle prayer is for life. We need to pray for comfort and reduced pain for the patient, and faith and strength for the loved ones also.
When the news got out that Charlie Kirk had been shot, thousands of people began praying for his recovery. The fact that he did not survive does not show that God does not answer prayers. If Charlie had survived the shooting, some would have seen that as a miracle; however, millions have been impacted by his death and the life he lived.
God answers prayers; sometimes the answer is no or not now, and sometimes it is yes, but in a different way than expected. Prayer is always communication with God, but we don’t always have our hearts in the right mood for that discussion.
If you believe you have earned everything you have and you deserve what you are asking God for, don’t bother with your prayer. God understands your thoughts, and if you don’t believe you need Him, He will agree, and you are on your own. It is our relationship with God that provides the desire to do more and better work that leads to more success, but without that, we might have nothing. “There but for the grace of God go I “ is a statement that explains why I have a different lifestyle than some others.
Prayer is a process of staying connected to God and allowing the Holy Spirit in you share your feelings and to then condition your heart to understand what happens. God may give you tasks to do that may be messages to share or other things to help those impacted.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
I Thessalonians 5:16-18 NKJV
Alan Jackson – Sweet Hour Of Prayer
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