IF GOD’S PLANS DO NOT CHANGE, HOW CAN OUR PRAYERS MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

 

 

  The Bible teaches that God’s plans do not change:

·       Isaiah 14:24 – The LORD of hosts has sworn, saying, “Surely, as I have thought, so it shall come to pass, And as I have purposed, so it shall stand. (Ephes. 2:10; PRO 19:21; NUM 23:19; PSA 33:11)

And yet our prayers are effectual:

James 5:16 …The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

2 Kings 20:5–6 …Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the LORD, and I will add fifteen years to your life. I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria…

How do we reconcile these two truths? God knew of our prayers from before creation since He is all-knowing. Therefore, our effectual prayers played a role in His plans even before we were created.

Does God’s foreknowledge rule against our having freewill? Certainly not! When my wife goes out to shop, I know she’ll be back. She always has come back! However, she never expressed any complaint that my foreknowledge limited her freewill.

God had created the time/space/matter package and therefore is not limited by it. Therefore, He can know the future as well as the past. Likewise, if I create a house, I too am not limited by it. I can go inside, outside, or even burn it down.

His foreknowledge does not determine our actions, even though He knows them perfectly. Consequently, even though God knows exactly what we will do, we are not puppets or machines. Therefore, our prayers and decisions matter profoundly.