I. Introduction
A. Three Wishes
1. What if God told you that you could have three wishes? What would they be?
a. What if you could have any wish you desired? What if there were no restrictions? Would you really want that kind of power?
b. There is an old saying, “Be careful what you wish for because you might just get it.”
2. There is some wisdom in that statement, the idea being that we cannot foresee all the issues that arise from always getting what we want.
B. Q&A
1. Tonight, we will address a question that goes along with our discussion last week of the spiritual discipline of prayer.
2. There are times we may become discouraged because we do not receive what we have asked for, especially when it is a good thing we request (e.g., healing of sick Christian, growth of church, etc.).
3. Why pray if my prayers don’t do any good? Tonight, I want us to ask the question…do my prayers change the future. What does that mean for me and for my faith?
II. Do My Prayers Make a Difference?
A. Why do we Pray?
1. God it (1 Thess 5:17 pray without ceasing)
2. Emphasizes our on Him (Matt 6:11-12 give us this day our daily bread…forgive us our debts)
3. Provides comfort (1 Peter 5:7 casting all your cares on Him because He cares for you)
4. To others (Eph 1:15-16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers…)
B. Can Our Prayers Change Things?
1. Option 1- No they cannot
a. This belief relies on the idea that God has foreordained everything (good or bad), so nothing we can do can change what God has already determined He will bring to pass.
b. People usually point to passages like Malachi 3:6 or Hebrews 13:8
c. But then there are passages that seem to reveal that there are times when God has changed His mind. We’ll look at some of those in a moment.
2. Option 2- Yes they can
a. Because God has given man freewill, man has the ability to make choices that impact his own destiny.
I. Deut 30:19
ii. Joshua 24:15
iii. Revelation 20:13
3. How can I be judged if God had already ordained it, if I don’t have any control over the outcome?
C. Examples of Prayers Changing Things
1. Isaac & Rebekah- Gen 25:21
2. Moses- Exodus 32:11-14 Convincing God not to destroy the Israelites after they leave Egypt
3. Hannah- 1 Samuel 1
4. Hezekiah- 2 Kings 20:5-6
5. Elijah- James 5:17-18
6. The Bible clearly teaches that prayers have changed things before, and we would hope that they do so in our time.
a. If not, why do we pray for the forgiveness of our sins? If I cannot receive forgiveness for my past sins, I can’t alter my eternal future.
b. Matthew 7:7-8 Why tell us to ask, seek, and knock if we can’t receive, find, or gain entry?
c. Acts 8:20-22 Peter tells Simon the magician to pray for forgiveness of his sins
7. Scripture shows us that it is possible that our prayers make a difference.
D. Key to Understanding
1. God does know my future prayers
a. God inhabits eternity, not space and time
b. God has considered my prayers from the very beginning, and how He will respond
i. Psalm 139:4
ii. Matthew 6:8
2. Just because God knows the future doesn’t mute the effectiveness of prayer.
a. Did the Lord know beforehand that King Hezekiah would make the request to be healed? Yes.
b. Did God know beforehand that Jesus would ask for the cup to pass from Him? Yes.
3. Our prayers change the future from our perspective (i.e. Hezekiah). It is possible for our prayers to change the future from our earthly perspective.
E. How do our prayers make a difference?
1. Prayer is an effective tool to shape the world in which we live for tomorrow
2. God incorporates prayer into His eternal plan. He does not change in character or ultimate purpose, but He chooses to respond dynamically to the prayers of His people. (Caleb Sampson)
3. Prayer is not a tool to twist God’s arm. It is a gift that brings us into alignment with His heart. At times, God may alter His response because His plan includes the prayers of His people. At other times, He may leave the circumstance unchanged, but always He changes us. (Caleb Sampson)
4. James believed that to be the truth (James 5:16-18)
a. William Barclay writes that, to the Jews, there was no limit on prayer. “To them, prayer was nothing less than contacting the power God; prayer is the channel through which the strength and grace of God are brought to bear on the troubles and problem and ills of life.”[1]
b. David Platt has spoken on this topic before and made the statement, “God has designed prayer to be a powerful means by which we participate in His plans in the world. When we pray, God acts. Prayer is an invitation to join with God in effectively shaping the course of history…through prayer, God has called you and me not to watch history, but to shape history for the glory of His great name.” Do we believe that?
c. He further states, “The primary purpose of prayer is not to get some thing but to know someone.”[2]
5. The effectiveness of prayer according to James
a. Healing
b. Accomplishes much
c. Stopped rain
d. Brought rain
6. These are actions that were brought about because of prayer according to James
F. Prayers that Make a Difference
1. Ask according to God’s (1 John 5:14-15)
2. Ask with the right (James 4:3)
3. Ask in (Matt 7:7-8) God desires a relationship, not a ritual. He knows what we need before we ask (Matthew 6:8), yet He still invites us to ask, so that our trust grows and His glory is revealed.
4. the answer, whatever it may be, understanding that we may not always understand. (Matt 26:36-46)
a. Not every prayer will be answered affirmatively, nor should it be. There are times we will pray contradictory prayers.
b. Illustration: I see my house while God looks at the universe. We may be looking at the same things, but we have different perspectives. I know my life, while God knows all life.
c. Paul’s thorn in the flesh- He prayed for it to be removed, but it never was…
5. Prayer changes things if we are willing to be changed ourselves.
6. Prayer is not about outmaneuvering God’s plan; it is about in it. (Caleb Sampson)
III. Conclusion
A. Review
1. Prayer can change the future from our perspective
2. We have to remember that God is ultimately in control and working all things as they should be, regardless of whether I understand it or not
3. My main focus should be to be an instrument of God regardless of my circumstances. If this is the focus of my future, I will always arrive at the destination God intends for me.
B. Invitation
1. God did not want us to guess about eternity; He has been very clear about that with regards to His will and sharing it with us
2. Have you responded as you should?