Word of Encouragement (2/16/2021)
As we continue to think about the necessity of prayer, I’d like to introduce another reason.
For those of you in our church, this may be a familiar concept but something worth reviewing: prayer is necessary for the fulfillment of God’s eternal, unchangeable, predestined plan. Many are puzzled by that statement. They wonder why they should pray if God predestined everything. What kind of thinking is behind that kind of question? Prayer is all about exerting my will on the world and even on God rather than seeking God’s will. If God predestined everything, is there any place for my will, for what I want?
But if my will is so important, what about God’s will? I’m only a creature but God is the Creator of all things, the sovereign Lord of heaven and earth. My will is that of a mere creature, who is finite in being, limited in knowledge and wisdom. If I want something so badly because it seems so perfect for me, it may be because I can see only what is in front of me and not what it will bring about in the future. We are often like an unsuspecting fish that gleefully takes the bait, totally oblivious of the hook underneath it. God, on the other hand, is infinite in His being, knowledge, and wisdom, and good and holy in character. He knows what is truly good and He wills only that which will ultimately bring good. Should my will take precedence to God’s will? Of course not! It is only right that, after all that is said and done, our final prayer should be, “Not my will, but Yours, be done.”
Because God is God, omniscient in His knowledge and sovereign in His will, He cannot will without predestining all things: “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...” (Isa. 46:9-10). As Herman Bavinck said, nothing happens in this world, which did not first exist in the mind of God before the foundation of the world.
This is where the necessity of our prayer comes in: God, who declares the end from the beginning, predestined everything, including our prayer. We need to pray because our prayer is a divinely ordained means by which God accomplishes His purpose. You see, God did not just predestine the end; He also predestined the means as well. That is why the Bible sees on contradiction between the doctrine of predestination and the repeated command to pray throughout the Bible. So, the Jerusalem church prayed when Peter and John were released from prison, “...truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. 29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness...” (Acts 4:27-29). As you see, they affirm God’s predestination in the first part (vs. 27-28). Then, they move right into a petition (v. 29). Properly understood, the doctrine of predestination does not demolish the need for prayer; rather, it heightens the need and importance of prayer all the more! Tomorrow, we will talk about why the sovereign, predestinating God chose to use our prayer to accomplish His will. Have a blessed day!