Confused Praying

Our world revolted back in February (and following) against the whole concept of "thoughts and prayers" in cases of catastrophe, crisis, or calamity. Neil deGrasse Tyson confidently asserted that "Evidence collected over many years, obtained from many locations, indicates that the power of Prayer is insufficient to stop bullets from killing school children." Not denigrating Mr Tyson. It represents the common response. I even heard it from self-professed Christians. The fact that divine intervention is the only effective way to change these types of problems doesn't bother too many people, some Christians included. We need to do something rather than thinking that Jesus might change hearts.

This is a problem. We live in a real world. There are real things in this world (like bullets and people who wish to use them) and there are real people in this world, real people whom, as I understand it, have managed to tie God's hands with their Free Will. Now, any biblical Christian will obviously balk at that last problem. God is sovereign, to be sure. Still, we have to admit that in some sense God doesn't always do His will. For instance, "You shall not murder" is clearly God's will and, as demonstrated on that particular February 14th event, it happens.

Here's the question. Why pray? How do we pray? What's up with prayer?

We often pray with extreme "Sovereignty of God" in view. "Change her heart, O God." "Bring him back to you, dear Lord." Even, "Guide the surgeon's hands, Father." Good things, all, but we are begging God to intervene in an Omniscient and Sovereign way. We often do it without any assurance that it is His will to do so, even though we know that the certainty is that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us (1 John 5:14). We often pray with the apparent concept of "God is my butler" behind it. You know, "Ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you." (John 15:7) "Well," we think, perhaps unconsciously, "I want a better job, a new house, better-behaved kids, and, while I'm at it, a new car." Like Janis Joplin's "Lord, Won't You Buy Me a Mercedes Benz?" Kind of like our own Santa Claus at our beck and call.

You can see, I hope, that these are problematic, right? We don't get to tell God what to do and expect with any certainty that He will. On the other hand, if we are going to affirm Man's Free Will, is it reasonable to ask God to violate it? And, finally, if we affirm God's Sovereignty, what's the point of praying at all? I mean, God will do what God will do. Why are we bothering? In other words, no matter which way you come at it, prayer is confusing. Can He contravene Man's Free Will? Will He contravene Man's Free Will? Is there any real reason for me to pray if He does what He does? Or, in terms of Tyson-like thinking, is there really any reason to think that my prayers will make a difference at all?

So let's just start with this. God is God. That is, He is Creator, Over-all, Sovereign, King, and, oh, don't forget, Holy, Holy, Holy. That means that He is above and beyond us. Although we are in His image, He is not (simply) like us (Psa 50:21). So God will do what He will do in the way that He will do it. And He commands prayer (1 Chron 16:11; Luke 18:1-8; Eph 6:18; 1 Thess 5:17), so ... pray. Why pray? The classic, "Because I said so." That ought to be a good enough reason to pray.

So, God said to pray. That means we pray. But why? It's certainly not to change His mind. It's obviously not to change His will. We wouldn't even want that. Beyond "because He said so", what is the purpose of prayer?

Prayer has power (James 5:16). Prayer makes things holy (I Tim 4:4-5). That is, it makes them set apart for God. Prayer encourages thanksgiving (Col 4:2; Phil 4:6). Prayer allows us to lay our burdens on the Lord (Phil 4:6). Prayer allows us to engage in the lives of others beyond our human capabilities (Eph 6:18; 1 Tim 2:1-4). While prayer doesn't change God's mind, God uses our prayers to help others (2 Cor 1:11). At its core, however, prayer is a fundamental part of this thing we call "Christian". If being a Christian is first and foremost a relationship with God, then conversation with God is part of that relationship. It's not as much a shopping list, a wish list, or a demand for action; it's an opening of myself to the God I love. "But, wait!" a thinking person might say. "Doesn't He already know me?" Indeed. As such, prayer is not for His benefit, but for ours. Prayer doesn't change God; it changes us.

Would you like a prime example? Think of Jesus in Gethsemane. He knew why He was on earth. He knew what was coming in the next few hours. He knew the reason, the plan, and the outcome. Unlike most of us most of the time, He knew perfectly God's will for the things He would be enduring. And still He prayed, "If it be possible, let this cup pass from Me." (Matt 26:39) Did God know what Jesus wanted? Surely. Did Jesus expect to change God's mind? Not at all. He included, "Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” Jesus was expressing His innermost feelings to His loving Father. That was prayer. That was sufficient. His prayer was not ineffective because God didn't grant His request. His prayer was not useless because God knew already what He would ask or because Jesus knew already what God would do. That prayer was perfectly effective because it accomplished the primary purpose of prayer -- expressing His deepest self to His Father. He was obedient in prayer. He was successful in prayer. God said, "No." That didn't change the correctness, value, or efficacy of the prayer.

We can easily get confused in our praying. We might think it's to get God to do what we want. We may think it's to change God's mind or alter His will. We might think that the only effective prayer is the one that gets approved. These are confusion. The prayer that God wants is the conversation that you give Him. That prayer, in faith, is a prayer He can use. That prayer, between you and Him, is a prayer that transforms ... you. That is successful praying.