Does prayer change God?

Deep thoughts from me, again...


Today, received an sms saying:

"Pls pray for Pastor Ferdie Flores, missionary in East Timor. He is going to be executed tomorrow by beating. Pls forward to all Christians."

And then another, same sms from my cell member. And another, from Dad. I did pray. Im happy that I did. This evening, received an sms stating:

"Dr Kee, just received good news that rebels had released Pastor Flores. Thanks for your prayers and praise God - Rodney."

We have to believe that our prayers are significant.

Too many times, people have shared with me their situations and needs, yet I fail to keep them in prayer. Sadly, I'm at fault, of just reading people's emails about the things they are going through, yet failing to pray for them - which is the very least I can do to show I care.

Being close to people and knowing their needs earns us the right to keep them in prayer.

I always remember this one thing that Pastor Wilson said: "If you want to be close to the person (you like), pray for him/her." In context, it means that praying is one way of keeping the person close to our hearts, as we pray from our hearts.

But, if it is NOT God's will, then praying for a specific agenda to take place, is futile, isn't it? Are we not going against the purpose and plan He has for us?

Does prayer change God?

Do I really believe that my prayer makes a difference in what is going to take place? In my future endeavors? In all areas, that I should be prayerful and anticipate glorious things?

And why pray? Since God already knows my needs, we do not need to tell Him countless times what is on our mind... ...

Philip Yancey in his new book (2006) states that :

What we conclude about this issue may well determine how we view the utility—or futility—of prayer.
Origen was the first Christian writer known to mull over the paradox of praying to a God who does not change: "First, if God foreknows what will come to be and if it must happen, then prayer is in vain. Second, if everything happens according to God's will and if what He wills is fixed and no one of the things He wills can be changed, then prayer is in vain." Origen came down on the side of a changeless God, concluding that God from the "foundations of the world" could see in advance all that a person would freely choose, including the contents of their prayers.

Many philosophers followed along the same track, one laid down by Aristotle's notion of God as the "First Unmoved Mover." Immanuel Kant, for example, called it "an absurd and presumptuous delusion" to think that one person's prayer might deflect God from the plan of his wisdom.

And later, he states that :

Karl Barth, the 20th-century theologian who pounded home the theme of God's sovereignty, saw no contradiction at all in a God who chooses to let prayers affect him. "He is not deaf, he listens; more than that, he acts. He does not act in the same way whether we pray or not. Prayer exerts an influence upon God's action, even upon his existence. That is what the word 'answer' means." Barth continues, "The fact that God yields to man's petitions, changing his intentions in response to man's prayer, is not a sign of weakness. He himself, in the glory of his majesty and power, has so willed it."


Simple Faith.

It's as simple as asking, believing and receiving. (Pastor Dominic Yeo in Power Weekend 10/05)

Ask for and about it. Believe him. Receive it!

Simple Faith.

Does such a thing truly exist in such a complicated world, in a world where we need to discover more and more truths to muddle up our facts, where history is written everyday in new scientific breakthroughs, yet new diseases ravage the world and new cures cannot be formulated as fast...

I sure hope so. Today, I believed my prayers made a difference in the life and death of a person. More than anything, I believe God's power behind the prayer. Perhaps I do have this simple faith after all. Despite my complicated life.