Does Prayer Change The Providence of God?

Does prayer change the providence of God? Please don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to make a case against prayer. I just wonder if we pray in the right way or for the right things?

Excerpt From The Answer

Howard Hendricks used to say that prayer is not partial dependence, but total dependence. We have to understand our impotence. Older people, more mature people, get this better than when we’re young. In our youth, we’re busy, we’re active, we’re doing, we’re accumulating, we’re working hard. When you’re older, you look back and go, ‘Boy, I wasted a lot of time doing and being as opposed to just saying, God You’re sovereign. And I trust You, and I want to know You.’ 

That points us to the ACTS prayer. Adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. It was called a seven minute prayer life. If you learn to adore God, then you learn to confess and that’s confessional as well as confessing sin. Confessional prayer is declaring what we know about God. You’re holy, You’re just, You’re righteous, You’re patient, You’re loving kind, but I’m also confessing my sin. Adoration, confession, thanksgiving. Specifically who He is and what He’s done. Supplications will be very short. However, most Christians pray supplication only.

This is where the shopping list of prayers comes in. We misunderstand that prayer is a relational context of submitting to God. We’re dependent, we’re reading prayers in scripture to help us focus. That forges a relationship. You are God. You’re sovereign and patient. You’re not worried. I can trust You no matter what my circumstances are.

To hear Dr. E’s full answer, listen to the podcast or watch on Youtube!

Find more episodes of Ask Dr. E here.

Call or text us your question at 615-281-9694 or email at question@michaelincontext.com.