God remains faithful in fulfilling His promises, which prompts believers to assert these promises through prayer. While many perceive God as one who answers prayers, a few find it challenging to comprehend this action of God. Some believers experience unanswered prayers and are thus labelled as sinners, thought to be devoid of God’s favor. Conversely, the truth is that sinners may often receive more favour from God than the righteous (Romans 5:20).
Ignorant of the mechanisms through which God answers prayers, many individuals tend to attribute successes to their own merits when their prayers are fulfilled. They ascribe the responsiveness of God to their righteousness and efforts, consequently neglecting the grace of God that enables the answers to their prayers. In contemplating the attitudes of others, it is crucial that we reflect upon our own understanding of what it signifies when God answers our prayers.
God’s Mercy and Judgement on King Hezekiah
To grasp the manner in which God addresses our supplications, the narratives presented in Isaiah chapters 38 and 39 illuminate God’s intentions and actions. Numerous individuals interpret King Hezekiah’s favourable reply to his prayers as a precedent, fostering the erroneous belief that human supplications possess the capacity to alter God’s plans. King Hezekiah regarded this response as indicative of his own righteousness, thus neglecting the broader spectrum of God’s mercy. Previously, God communicated to Sennacherib the true essence of his conquests, a principle that equally pertains to the responses bestowed upon Hezekiah’s prayers: they arise not from human merit, but rather as a manifestation of God’s will.
King Hezekiah ascribed his healing and amassed wealth to his own merit, subsequently exhibiting all his treasures to the envoys from Babylon. Similarly, we may occasionally host prayer meetings in our homes to display our newly acquired possessions to friends and relatives. Such actions invite the displeasure of God, as was the case with Hezekiah. Consequently, God’s judgment befell King Hezekiah, foretelling that all his treasures would be taken to Babylon and that his descendants would be captured, destined to become eunuchs in the palace of the Babylonian king (Isaiah 39:6-7). In this instance, Hezekiah agreed to God’s decree without petitioning for its alteration.
“The word of the LORD you have spoken is good, ” Hezekiah replied. For he thought, “There will be peace and security in my lifetime. ” – Isaiah 39:8 (NIV)
When we attribute our merits to the responses received for our prayers, we inadvertently link our sins to unanswered prayers, leading to feelings of guilt that hinder our return to our Heavenly Father. This may serve as an explanation for Hezekiah’s silence, perhaps stemming from a sense of selfishness, as the judgment impacted his descendants rather than himself. The underlying reason for this silence lies in the fact that, having been granted merely an additional fifteen years of life, the Holy Spirit did not direct him to seek a further extension.
With this, it is imperative to understand that it is God who aids us in praying in accordance with His will, thereby ensuring the efficacy of our prayers and shielding us from petitioning against His noble intentions. Nevertheless, when we allow the Holy Spirit, who abides within our hearts, to intercede on our behalf, He possesses knowledge of the Father’s purposes regarding our lives. When He beseeches the Father to accomplish His will in our lives, such requests shall unquestionably come to fruition.
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. – Romans 8:26-27 (NIV)
God Knows Our Plight And Delivers
To comprehend how God remains steadfast in His intentions despite our petitions, it is prudent to reflect upon the era of Abraham, to whom God revealed the mistreatment that would befall His people for four hundred years (Genesis 15:13-14). During those four hundred years, there is no indication in the Bible that their prayers or cries ascended to Him. However, upon the culmination of these four hundred years, God addressed Moses regarding their suffering and lamentations and commissioned him to bring them out of Egypt (Exodus 3:7-10).
Is it conceivable that for four centuries, those generations did not beseech deliverance? Indeed, it is plausible that these individuals were unaware of their dire situation, having become accustomed to their hardships, believing this constituted the essence of life.
This phenomenon mirrors our own experiences. When God implores us to refrain from conforming to the world and its actions, we readily adapt to its patterns without recognising our destiny. Prior to redemption, God did not prompt anyone to pray for their salvation, but when people do not know this redemptive plan of God, He implemented His plan out of His love (John 3:16).
The scripture states that when the time was fulfilled, God sent His Son to redeem those who were enslaved by the law and to adopt us as His children (Galatians 4:4). Without our solicitation, God gave the Holy Spirit, who is vital for safeguarding the forgiveness of sins granted to us. It is not that we ask God, but God’s grace that provides us solutions to what we do not even estimate as harm.
Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. – Matthew 6:8 (NIV)
Could our prayers alter God’s Plan?
First and foremost, it is essential to recognise that prayer is not merely an obligation but rather an authentic relationship with our Heavenly Father. God does not simply fulfil our desires; instead, He accomplishes His will in our lives. Consequently, our prayers do not alter His intentions. God permitted the devil to afflict Job in order to demonstrate his faithfulness to Him (Proverbs 27:11). Throughout his trial, Job came to understand that his prayers could not change God’s plan. We must acknowledge that while God did not alter His mind in response to Job’s supplications, He was executing actions that transcended human intervention.
I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. – Job 42:2 (NIV)
It is essential for us to comprehend His purpose in our lives. We can attain this understanding exclusively through the guidance of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:11-12). When we discern His purpose, we will pray in alignment with His will rather than our own, and thus He will hear us.
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. – 1 John 5:14 (NIV)
God’s Purpose In Our Lives
The Holy Spirit instils confidence concerning His purpose, while the devil seeks to distort our understanding with various lies, thus instilling doubts about the faithfulness of God. God desires for us to exercise dominion over all His creations (Genesis 1:28) and wishes to see us experience happiness, offering His support when we are downcast (Genesis 4:6). In His incredible love, God does not wish for our souls to perish; therefore, He gave His Son for our salvation (John 3:16). God has unconditionally forgiven our sins, and to safeguard this state of forgiveness, He provides us with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14). Ultimately, God aims for us to attain eternal life without exception (John 10:28). Any doubts that cloud our minds regarding these five purposes of God stem from the devil, yet none of these purposes can be thwarted.
Misconceptions About Prayer
While we comprehend that our prayers do not alter the purpose of God, the question arises: what should we pray for? We ought to pray for the understanding of His will and to seek His strength to remain aligned with His purpose. However, there are certain circumstances in which Jesus instructed us to pray or make requests. If this is not understood in accordance with the purpose of God, it may lead us to pray for intentions that are not in keeping with God’s expectations.
The initial prayer in this category is theLord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-14), which Jesus instructed us. Unfortunately, this prayer has often become a mere recital, lacking a genuine understanding of its deeper significance. It emphasises how to conduct our lives in accordance with the standards of Heaven while we remain on this earth. The phrase “daily bread” refers to the Word of God, essential for our daily sustenance. Furthermore, the admonition to forgive others their debts serves as a poignant reminder of the forgiveness we ourselves received (Matthew 6:12,14). Finally, the plea for protection from temptations invites us to utilise the Holy Spirit, safeguarding the forgiveness that God graciously extends to us. Thus, this prayer transcends the mere request for our daily needs; it is a guide to align with His Kingdom purpose during our earthly existence.
The second major misconception arises from the parable of a corrupt judge and a widow. In this instance, it may seem that the lesson is to persistently beseech God, much like the widow in the narrative. However, the true essence of this parable pertains to the delay regarding the Second Coming of Jesus, urging believers to anticipate Judgement Day and to prepare accordingly. In Luke chapter 17, the discourse concludes with individuals inquiring of Jesus concerning the location of His second arrival. Subsequently, Jesus presents this parable to encourage believers to pray consistently, given that the Second Coming is delayed as God awaits the repentance of all individuals to inherit His Kingdom (2 Peter 3:9).
The core message of the parable suggests that if one can secure just decisions from an unprincipled judge, then we should be even more focused on the Second Coming of Jesus as Judge and more focused on developing our love for God and His holiness, in preparation for the day of judgment. Jesus emphasizes that if a corrupt judge can dispense justice, how much more just will our Heavenly Father be in His judgments (Luke 18:7). Although God is unwavering in fulfilling His promises regarding His Second Coming, there remains the question of whether He will find faith among His people upon His return (Luke 18:8). Therefore, Jesus does not contradict His declaration that God is aware of our needs even prior to our prayers; rather, it is imperative to petition God for the preservation of our faith until His Second Coming.
The last point merits attention: Jesus emphasises that no one has prayed in His name, yet if they do so, the Father will provide them with a means to fulfil their joy (John 16:24). This matter transcends merely listing our needs; it pertains to the channel Jesus established for us to refer to His Father as our own. By seeking to uncover the mysteries of His Kingdom, we are endowed with the ability to attain complete joy. The essence of this message lies in the fact that Jesus, aware of His imminent departure from them in His physical form, reassured them that just as He made His Father their Father, they need not harbour any doubts regarding His Kingdom, which they had previously inquired about.
Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field. – Matthew 13:36 (NIV)
Regrettably, the petitions we present today often lead to our sorrow. For this reason, Jesus instructed us to make our requests in His name, as doing so ensures that we refrain from asking for things contrary to His teachings.
Application
It is not a matter of abstaining from prayer; rather, it is essential to pray in order to understand His will and align our thoughts with His. God has predestined us as His children, and to fulfil this purpose, He guides us in restraining our inclination to pursue our own desires. In this context, it is unnecessary to pray according to our own understanding; rather, we should seek to align our minds with His will in order to comprehend His plan for our lives.
Since God does not require us to petition Him for trivial matters, it is evident that we ought to request the revelation of the secrets of His Kingdom, which constitutes a genuine prayer. This pursuit will enable us to submit ourselves wholly to Him, which epitomises true worship.
The Jordan Valley 
Reply