Introduction
Prayer is mentioned all throughout the Bible. God invented prayer as the primary method by which humankind can interact with their Creator. In the Bible, we see many records of individuals’ prayers, teachings regarding how to pray, and encouragements to pray. Yet, the Word of God says God is unchanging (Mal. 6:3). What does that mean in relation to prayer? Do our prayers have the power to cause change? Or is everything set in stone regardless of whether we pray? Some may argue that prayer only changes us and cannot influence God’s actions. A quote from Soren Kierkegaard, known as the father of Existentialism, embodies this belief: “Prayer does not change God, but it changes him who prays.” If by “change God” Kierkegaard meant “changes God’s actions”, then is this belief truly biblical? Does that mean our prayers are purposeless or powerless to affect the circumstances around us? If so, why should we pray at all? Why would we be called to “present [our] requests to God” (Philippians 4:6, NIV) and “cast all your anxiety on Him” (1 Peter 5:7, NIV)?
In the Bible, God established the fact that He delights in interacting with humans as a father interacts with his children (Psalm 37:23, Luke 11:13). This paper will analyze scriptural examples of both teachings about prayer and recorded prayers with their corresponding recorded answers. Personal examples of answered prayers by the author will also be included. This study will conclude with a discussion of two concepts that seem to stand in tension: God’s unchanging character and the power of prayer to change circumstances.
Teachings on Prayer
There are many teachings throughout Scripture that inarguably support that God hears us and will respond when we pray according to the details of our prayers. Luke recorded a discussion by Jesus regarding persistent prayer, writing,
Then, teaching them more about prayer, He used this story: “Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’ And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’ But I tell you this – though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence. And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking. And the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. You fathers – if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.” (Luke 11:5-13, NLT)
Again, as recorded in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus taught,
In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, “Give me justice against my adversary.” For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, “Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.” (Luke 18:1-5, ESV)
Notice the ending of these stories. The knocking friend did not suddenly have a change of heart from his knocking to where he no longer wanted bread and became content with his lack of bread. Likewise, the widow did not suddenly, by asking, experience an inner peace with her current situation lacking justice. Instead, in both teachings of Jesus the circumstances were changed because of their asking. Jesus was emphasizing that God acts in response to our prayers. The prayers of His children do reach His ears and can cause powerful changes.
Some may argue that seemingly “answered prayers” were going to happen regardless of whether we ever prayed because they were in God’s will to happen, but that is directly inconsistent with these teachings. In the first example, Jesus did not teach that the man was going to get up and put three loaves of bread outside his house at midnight even if he had not been asked. The course of his evening was already set in motion: he was in bed for the night. Rather, Jesus taught that “if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence” (Luke 11:8, NLT, italics added).
James emphasized the power of prayer in chapter 5. He reported that the “prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results” (v. 16, NLT). James instructed us that if anyone is sick, the elders should be called upon to pray because “such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well” (v. 15, NLT). If the teaching of Kierkegaard was congruent with biblical principles, James would not call upon us to pray over the sick. Instead, he would tell us to wait for the will of God regarding the sick. James restated his point on God’s sensitivity to prayers by concluding with an example involving Elijah. James stated, “Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again, he prayed, and the heavens gave rain and the earth produced its crops” (vv. 17–18, NIV). God chooses to involve His children in His will.
Another example Jesus gave of prayer is known as The Lord’s Prayer, as recorded in Matthew 6. He taught us to praise God, pray for His kingdom, our daily bread, forgiveness of sins, and deliverance from temptation and the evil one (6:9-13). We are instructed not only to pray for spiritual things, but also for our daily needs such as bread.
There are so many more teachings about making requests to the Lord and expecting an answer. Jeremiah recorded, “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know” (33:3, NIV). James noted, “You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it” (4:2, NLT). The example from Jeremiah does not read: I will tell you unsearchable things whether you call to me or not if it is My will. And the example in James does not conclude with: you don’t have what you want because it is not God’s will that you should have it. These Scriptures demonstrate that God is encouraging us to reach out to Him, to speak to our Creator who loves us, to tell Him what we need. God desires for His children to call upon Him. Paul instructed us to “pray without ceasing” (1Thessalonians 5:17, ESV) and Peter told his readers to “cast all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7, NIV).
Biblical Records of Answered Prayers
We have looked at biblical teachings regarding prayer; let us now look at some of the many recorded instances in Scripture where God answered prayers. The first is an example of Abraham pleading with God for Sodom.
As reported in Genesis 18:16-33, God revealed to Abraham that He planned to observe Sodom and destroy it for the wickedness He found there. Abraham humbly, yet boldly, approached God asking, “Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?” Abraham then asked, if God finds fifty righteous people, will He spare Sodom. The Lord agreed that He would not destroy the land if He found fifty righteous people. Abraham continued to request that God not destroy it if he finds less people a few more times until lastly Abraham requested if God only finds ten righteous people, that He not destroy it. During each new presented request, God conceded to Abraham.
Moses described a personal encounter with God after which God altered His course of action (Exodus 32). Israel invoked the anger of the Lord by making a golden calf to worship as their god. The people of God had grown impatient and turned away from the true God despite the fact that He had just rescued them from their oppression in Egypt. In verses 9–10, the Lord told Moses, “I have seen how stubborn and rebellious these people are. Now leave me alone so my fierce anger can blaze against them, and I will destroy them. Then I will make you, Moses, into a great nation.” Moses cried out to God asking, “Turn away from your fierce anger. Change your mind about this terrible disaster” (v. 12, NLT). He reminded God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and asked Him to consider His reputation among the Egyptians should He slaughter the people whom He had just delivered. Moses concluded the narrative, “So the Lord changed His mind about the terrible disaster He had threatened to bring on His people” (v. 14, NLT). The Beacon Bible Commentary described God’s actions regarding His unchanging character with the following: “God’s eternal purpose never changes, but He condescends to work with men in their changing modes of action” (Purkiser, Harper, 1969. pg. 297). God could have still fulfilled His promises by starting over with Moses, but He conceded to Moses’ pleading because He desired to be in relationship with Moses. God condescended to Moses’ level.
In 2 Chronicles 1, the writer described how God appeared to Solomon and told him to ask for whatever he wanted from God. Solomon asked God for wisdom and knowledge (vv. 7–10). God responded in verse 11, “Since this is your heart’s desire and you have not asked for wealth, riches or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life, but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king, therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given to you. And I will also give you wealth, riches and honor, such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have” (2 Chron. 1:11-12, NIV). God told Solomon it was because of Solomon’s request that God was giving in such a way.
In these examples, Abraham, Moses, and Solomon were allowed to speak directly with God and hear His responses in return. At other times, God responded to prayer in a different way. The writer recorded God’s action but not any audible response from God.
In Daniel 10, a messenger from God came to Daniel. The messenger told Daniel “Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in Heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer” (v. 12, NLT). This messenger specifically stated that he was sent in answer to Daniel’s prayer.
Nehemiah recorded praying for God to give him favor with King Artaxerxes, that he might be allowed to go to Judah to rebuild the city. Nehemiah wrote, “Please grant me success today by making the king favorable to me. Put it into his heart to be kind to me…And the king granted these requests, because the gracious hand of God was on me” (1:11; 2:8, NLT).
In Judges 6, the writer recorded how God responded to the Israelites’ cry by sending them a prophet (v. 7). Gideon asked the Lord for a sign that He would save Israel. He set out a fleece and asked the Lord to make the fleece wet with dew, but that the ground would remain dry, and the Lord did it. Gideon then asked that the Lord do the opposite on the following morning. He requested God make the fleece dry and the ground wet. Then, “that night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; and all the ground was covered with dew” (6:40, NIV). God responded directly to Gideon’s specific request with these actions. In contrast to the belief exhibited in Kierkegaard’s claim, the Bible does not tell that the prayer of Gideon resulted only in inner peace that God’s will would happen. Instead, the Bible reveals that God supernaturally changed the physical world specifically as Gideon had asked in order to reveal the outcome of the battle to him. God chose to interact with Gideon by responding to his prayer.
Another example where prayer had an incredible impact can be found in Isaiah 38. King Hezekiah had become deathly ill, and the prophet Isaiah was sent by God to tell him to get his affairs in order because he was going to die from this illness. When Hezekiah received this news, he prayed to God asking Him to remember how he had been faithful to the Lord. The Bible says that Hezekiah wept bitterly. In response to this, the prophet Isaiah was told to return to Hezekiah and tell him “I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will add fifteen years to your life” (Isaiah 38:5, NLT). Hezekiah’s prayer was heard. The Lord had compassion on him and changed his fate in response.
One last stunning example we will discuss is the prayer of Joshua recorded in Joshua 10:12-14. In battle with the Amorites, Joshua prayed that the Lord would not allow the sun to set while they were fighting. Even with such a huge request, God did so. The record says the sun did not set for about a full day and “the Lord listened to a human being. Surely the Lord was fighting for Israel!” (Joshua 10:14, NIV).
Answered Prayers of the Author
There have also been numerous times throughout my life where my prayers have been directly answered. One example was during an evening walking on the beach with a friend. We came across a man juggling fire. He sat down to take a break and I strongly sensed the Lord led me to speak to him. When I did, he began telling me he had just recently arrived in America. I knew God wanted me to share the gospel with him, but I could not think of a natural transition in the conversation. I prayed silently for God to provide a smooth transition and immediately the man stood up. When he stood, I noticed he was wearing a Jesus fish necklace. I knew immediately God had provided an answer. I was able to ask him if he knew what it meant, to which he responded that he did not. He only recently purchased it because he liked it. We talked for a little while about the gospel and he told me that on the airplane over to America he had sat next to a pastor who had also told him similar things.
On the eve of one particularly difficult season, I was pregnant with my second child and sensed God was preparing me for a tough road ahead. I had a gift registry and previously registered for a decorative sign of Joshua 1:9 to hang in the baby’s room. It read “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” I initially thought this would be a sweet verse for the welcoming of a new life, but in the weeks that followed, that verse started appearing everywhere. God kept bringing it to my attention, and I sensed He was telling me to be prepared for a difficult season, be brave and trust He will guide my steps. One morning I read this passage and prayed thanking God for His comfort. I told Him I trust Him regardless, but how sweet would it be if I were to check my registry and see that the sign had been purchased. I told God that I would hold it in my heart that He had meant this comfort for me if it had. After praying, I logged in to my registry, scrolled down, and saw that the sign had not yet been purchased. “That’s okay,” I prayed, “I still believe You are helping me.” I proceeded to get in my car to drive to work and called my mom for a routine check in. She told me she was frustrated with my registry because she had just bought the Joshua 1:9 sign but she could not get it to show “marked as purchased.”
When I was in youth group, my youth pastor and his wife were expecting a baby. When the time came for genetic testing, they were told that their daughter would be born with a genetic disorder that would significantly impair her life. In response to this devasting news, the church came together and pleaded to God over this little precious life. We asked for a perfectly healthy baby girl. When the baby was born, that is exactly what she was: perfectly healthy with no signs of the genetic disorder.
Life has been riddled with answered prayers: freedom from depression and an eating disorder in my teenage years, prayers to help me excel at understanding and remembering complex material during college, giving me my children, and many, many others. One major prayer answered recently was introducing me to my incredible fiancé, Cory. After my life unexpectedly turned upside down, God continued to comfort me that He had a plan for my life. It was not ruined. It would be redeemed. I wrote out a list of attributes that I dreamed of having in a spouse and prayed that God would give me a husband. What I did not realize is that He had been orchestrating both of our lives to intersect at just the right time, and that that man would abundantly exceed all the hopes recorded on my list. Paul wrote to the Ephesians that God “is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think” (3:20, ESV). Cory is my “abundantly more.” Additionally, I asked God that I would meet the man I would marry by the following Christmas. Little did I know that I would meet him by then, and we would be getting engaged before the new year.
Philosophical Discussion on Prayer
In addition to the action of prayer, there are so many other promises in the Bible that are first dependent on the actions of people. Some examples are as follows: Delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 36:4). Trust Him, and He will help you (Psalm 36:5). Honor your father and mother, and you will have a long, full life (Exodus 20:12). Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Matthew 6:33). The Chronicler records this promise, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14, NIV). There are numerous other teachings throughout scripture that tell us the results of choosing to live righteously.
As discussed above, Kierkegaard suggested that prayer does not change God; it changes us. In other words, when we pray, God acts within us to change our desires. This proposition does not reflect biblical principles; however, I think there are two primary reasons why a man like Kierkegaard would come to such a conclusion.
From a purely philosophical standpoint, Kierkegaard might have wanted to maintain the concept of God’s unchangeableness. God is all-powerful and all-knowing; thus, it seems to follow logically that God does not change. In his book Providence and Prayer, Terrance Tiessen spoke to this point. God knows beforehand what, if, and when His children would ask anything of Him (Psalm 139:16). He is able to account for our prayers ahead of time. According to Tiessen, “Answers to prayer are prearranged according to foreknowledge” (pg. 148, 2000). Because God knew in advance what we would pray, He was able to prearrange their answers and carry out His will without being taken by surprise. Tiessen delineated that God does not change His mind by means of our prayers; He changes His actions because of our prayers. This is a beautiful insight. God, in His foreknowledge, knew what we would pray, and He knew that He would act on it when we did. God has always known everything, but He made room within His work for you and me to play a part in it. Tiessen concluded, “I reject all models of providence in which prayer has no effect on the way the world goes. Prayer changes us, but God also changes our circumstances in response to prayer…God determines his own action, and He determines the ultimate outcome, but some of what He has determined to do, He has chosen to do in response to prayer” (pg. 342, 343).
The other reason Kierkegaard may have clung to the idea that prayer changes us, not God, could be fear. What if God does not respond to my prayer how I want him to respond? What if God could have changed and healed my loved one but chose not to? What if God could have intervened and saved my job but chose not to? Rather than wrestle with this question, people who follow Kierkegaard blithely assert, “Prayer doesn’t change God. It changes us.” But this is too easy. It is intellectually easy to address prayer from this conservative outpost, but it is not biblically accurate. The fact of the matter is this: God answers prayers in one of three ways: yes, no, or not yet. When the answer is no, we need to keep praying until one of two things happen, we learn the no was actually a not yet, or we trust that God’s will truly is somehow better. Sometimes He allows us to see how it is better, but other times we may not understand on this side of Heaven. We must choose to have faith that “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God” (Romans 8:28, NASB), including when He tells us no. As followers of Christ, we do not bow out of the fight. According to the apostle Paul, “God gave us not a spirit of fear but of power” (2 Tim. 1:7, ESV). If we are too afraid of “no” to pray persistently, we forfeit that power.
Conclusion
While prayer does often allow us to self-reflect and align ourselves with God’s will, this is not the full extent of what prayer is. When you look at the whole biblical picture, you can see that God actually changes His actions as a result of the prayers of His children. When God responds to our prayers, it does not compromise His unchanging character. In fact, it provides a center stage for us, His children, to witness His unchanging character traits of compassion, justice, mercy, and love. The Scriptures we have looked at show us a God who is relational, caring, personal, and involved in our lives. He desires relationship with His creation. If He did not, it would be more logical that He would have not given us free will. We would all have robotic relationships with Him rather than personally deciding to turn towards Him. God’s promises and His character do not change, yet scriptures clearly show that His course of action does sometimes change as a result of our prayers. Prayer is God’s design. So, let us look to His Word to determine its power. When we do, we will find that it truly is effective for making changes in the world around us.
Reference List
Purkiser, W. T., Harper, A. F.. 1969. The Beacon Bible Commentary: In Ten Volumes. Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press.
Tiessen, Terrance. 2000. Providence and Prayer: How Does God Work in the World? Westmont, IL: IVP Academic.