Lies We Believe #10: We Don’t Need to Pray, Since God Knows What We Need Before We Pray
"And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”—Matthew 6:7-8
Does God answer prayer? Yes. Does He answer every prayer? Yes and no. Some would say that God answers every prayer, but He doesn’t always answer in the affirmative. In other words, He sometimes says, “yes” and sometimes says, “no.” But, does God answer every prayer? No, of course not. For the simple reason why a parent won’t give a child everything that he or she wants. It would be detrimental to their life for them to receive everything and anything whenever they wanted. But, it goes further than that. God won’t hear the prayers of the wicked. He only hears the prayers of those who have trusted in His Son’s sacrifice for their sins. And then, He only hears those who not only have trusted in Christ, but those who are living their lives in obedience to the Son and are actively relying upon His intercession in their lives as the Spirit of God gives utterance (Romans 8:26).
And while God does answer prayer, we come to a conundrum when we consider God’s character in relation to answering our prayers. If God has ordained all that will come to past and if He knows everything that is taking place, then how do our prayers mean anything one way or another? If God knows the answer or outcome, then how can my prayer change anything? Why pray if it has already been determined? Why would God—sovereign, holy, omniscient, almighty God, answer my prayer? We enter here, into a mystery, where theology and anthropology meet. Where our understanding of our Creator collides with us, His creation. God, unlimited and immeasurable, vast and unexplainable, making Himself available toward us who are fickle, limited, and ungrateful, is one of the universe’s great mysteries. From God’s side, the story has an ending, but from our vantage point, the story has yet to be written. We do know the ending—God wins and God’s people will be with Him forever and ever in such an unfathomable blissful, ethereal and rapturous state. A wondrous array of pleasures and experiences await those who have placed their faith in Him. Yet, while we await the unfolding of each chapter of God’s great novel, He has allowed us to direct the divine pen for reasons that are wholly within Himself for our benefit. God allows us, characters in this divine drama, to plead to Him, the author, to pen such answers that we long for, delight in, and desire to the honor and praise of His great name.
Does God know what we need before we ask? The answer is an unequivocal “yes.” Does He answer our prayers even though He already knows them? Again, the answer is “yes.” Does He still desire to answer our prayers even though He knows what the end result will be? Yes. Do our prayers affect Him? It would appear so, even though we will never understand all of the nuances involved. What then are we to do? The answer is simple: pray. Why? We pray because Christ taught us to, while modeling a life of prayer Himself.
Does prayer change the mind of God? Will God act in a certain situation? Time and the lives of great saints of God and prayer warriors have born out the truth of that statement. God does and will answer the prayer of His people. Don’t give into the lie that we should not pray. Yes, it is a mystery, but it is a wonderful one that God has laid out before us. And prayer requires of the saint one thing…faith. Faith in the one who has made Himself known and then made the pen of His providence to be influenced by the characters and recipients in the divine drama of redemption. We may not understand the “why” and “how” of prayer, but we definitely understand the one who has made it available—God. He has said that He will answer when we call. He responds to our pleas. Sometimes in prayer, we are the one’s who are changed, and sometimes, as it appears to us, God is. But, whatever the case may be the answer will come, but it only comes to those saints who pray. Amen.
Does God answer prayer? Yes. Does He answer every prayer? Yes and no. Some would say that God answers every prayer, but He doesn’t always answer in the affirmative. In other words, He sometimes says, “yes” and sometimes says, “no.” But, does God answer every prayer? No, of course not. For the simple reason why a parent won’t give a child everything that he or she wants. It would be detrimental to their life for them to receive everything and anything whenever they wanted. But, it goes further than that. God won’t hear the prayers of the wicked. He only hears the prayers of those who have trusted in His Son’s sacrifice for their sins. And then, He only hears those who not only have trusted in Christ, but those who are living their lives in obedience to the Son and are actively relying upon His intercession in their lives as the Spirit of God gives utterance (Romans 8:26).
And while God does answer prayer, we come to a conundrum when we consider God’s character in relation to answering our prayers. If God has ordained all that will come to past and if He knows everything that is taking place, then how do our prayers mean anything one way or another? If God knows the answer or outcome, then how can my prayer change anything? Why pray if it has already been determined? Why would God—sovereign, holy, omniscient, almighty God, answer my prayer? We enter here, into a mystery, where theology and anthropology meet. Where our understanding of our Creator collides with us, His creation. God, unlimited and immeasurable, vast and unexplainable, making Himself available toward us who are fickle, limited, and ungrateful, is one of the universe’s great mysteries. From God’s side, the story has an ending, but from our vantage point, the story has yet to be written. We do know the ending—God wins and God’s people will be with Him forever and ever in such an unfathomable blissful, ethereal and rapturous state. A wondrous array of pleasures and experiences await those who have placed their faith in Him. Yet, while we await the unfolding of each chapter of God’s great novel, He has allowed us to direct the divine pen for reasons that are wholly within Himself for our benefit. God allows us, characters in this divine drama, to plead to Him, the author, to pen such answers that we long for, delight in, and desire to the honor and praise of His great name.
Does God know what we need before we ask? The answer is an unequivocal “yes.” Does He answer our prayers even though He already knows them? Again, the answer is “yes.” Does He still desire to answer our prayers even though He knows what the end result will be? Yes. Do our prayers affect Him? It would appear so, even though we will never understand all of the nuances involved. What then are we to do? The answer is simple: pray. Why? We pray because Christ taught us to, while modeling a life of prayer Himself.
Does prayer change the mind of God? Will God act in a certain situation? Time and the lives of great saints of God and prayer warriors have born out the truth of that statement. God does and will answer the prayer of His people. Don’t give into the lie that we should not pray. Yes, it is a mystery, but it is a wonderful one that God has laid out before us. And prayer requires of the saint one thing…faith. Faith in the one who has made Himself known and then made the pen of His providence to be influenced by the characters and recipients in the divine drama of redemption. We may not understand the “why” and “how” of prayer, but we definitely understand the one who has made it available—God. He has said that He will answer when we call. He responds to our pleas. Sometimes in prayer, we are the one’s who are changed, and sometimes, as it appears to us, God is. But, whatever the case may be the answer will come, but it only comes to those saints who pray. Amen.
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