3. The Use of Prayer: Part 3

WSC 98. What is prayer? A. Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgement of his mercies.

In this third class on the use of prayer, we will learn why we need to pray. We will consider some common objections to prayer, the proper responses to such objections, and the cardinal reasons why we need to continue in prayer.

Common Objections Against the Necessity of Prayer

Prayer is one of the most difficult spiritual disciplines to practice in our lives. Our flesh frequently tempts us to believe that prayer is unnecessary. Accordingly, some common objections have been raised against the Christian’s responsibility to pray:¹

Prayer is redundant. Why do we need to present all our wearisome needs to God? After all, God knows better than us what we really need. Even our Lord Jesus Christ said, “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things” (Mt. 6:31-32).

Prayer is useless. Everything has already been predetermined by God’s eternal and unchangeable decree (Is. 46:10-11). It doesn’t matter if we pray or not. Whatever God has purposed will happen, even if we don’t pray; and, the things that God has not decreed will never come to pass, even if we lift thousands of prayers for them. God will never deviate, even a sliver, from His eternal decrees. In fact, it is improper and irreverent to believe that we can alter God’s sovereign plans.

Prayer is insulting to God. We should be content to submit to God’s majesty and bow to His will, rather than to petition Him for things He has not given. It is offensive to God’s goodness to presume that we lack something that He has not already determined to give us. He gives us abundantly more than we could ever ask or imagine (Eph. 3:20). In Isaiah 65, verses 1 and 24, God declares, “I was sought by those who did not ask for Me; I was found by those who did not seek Me. I said, ‘Here I am, here I am,’ To a nation that was not called by My name… It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear.”

On the surface, these objections may appear powerful, pious, and even biblical. Moreover, if you are truthful about it, you have likely struggled with at least some of these yourself at some point in your life. Admittedly, all these objections contain some element of truth. For instance, God really does know all our needs, even without us informing Him; no creature can ever alter God’s eternal decrees; and, all of creation should humbly submit to God’s rule, acknowledging Him to be perfectly good and loving. Yet, these arguments, as they are presented, are not consistent with the whole of Scripture, and err by placing false dichotomies between who God is and what He requires.

Defenses to the Common Objections Against Prayer

Having considered the possible objections against prayer above, let us consider the following responses:²

Prayer is not opposed to affirming God’s omniscience. God asks us to openly present our needs to Him in prayer.³ Sometimes, God even chooses to speak of Himself anthropomorphically as if He was unaware of our circumstances until we cried out to Him (e.g., Ex. 2:23-25; Ps. 106:44, 45). These instances are not to be interpreted literally, but figuratively. These descriptions are intended to teach us that God is pleased when we humbly declare our needs before Him.

Prayer is not opposed to affirming God’s sovereignty. We acknowledge that God has not only ordained the end (i.e., based on God’s unalterable decree), but also appointed the means to achieving the end (i.e., prayers from the saints). Proper prayer does not presume that God will change His divine decrees on our account. Rather, in our prayers, we appeal to God that He may graciously give what is agreeable to His will for our benefit (e.g., Eze. 36:36, 37; Jer. 29:11-13).⁴ In this way, we ask God to use our prayers for the fulfillment of His purpose.⁵ Along these lines, some of the godliest men in the Bible earnestly prayed for the very things that they knew would be accomplished according to God’s purpose (e.g., David for the building of God’s temple in 2 Sam. 7:25, 27; Daniel for the freeing of God’s people after 70 years of Babylonian captivity in Dan. 9:2, 3). “In this manner these eminently wise and holy men thought themselves highly honoured in being permitted to contribute, by their prayers, to the execution of the divine purpose.”⁶ As one theologian-pastor, Dr. Michael Horton, put it: “People ask me, ‘Why pray if God is sovereign?’ I respond, ‘Why pray if he isn’t?’”⁷

Prayer is not opposed to honoring God’s majesty. Proper prayer, as modeled by Jesus Christ to His disciples, is characterized by humble submission to God’s will. “The majesty of God, therefore, does not require that we shall present no prayers or desires, but that we shall lay them before him with reverence, and heartily submit them to his wisdom and to his will.”⁸ Far from being insulting to God, the prayers of God’s people are pleasing to Him (cf. Song 2:14) for He loves to incline His ear to our requests (cf. Ps. 116:1).⁹

Reasons Underlying the Necessity of Prayer

There are two principal reasons that we need to pray, one concerning our duty to God and the second related to the benefits we are promised to receive:¹⁰

With respect to our duty to God, prayer is one of the most important components of worship and vital to honoring Him. For this reason, the whole of worship is often simply described as “calling on the name of the Lord” (Joel 2:32; cf. Gen. 4:6; 13:4).¹¹ The temple, which was dedicated to the worship of God, was commonly called a “house of prayer” (Isa. 56:7; Lk. 19:46). Similarly, in the early church, Christians referred to their meeting places as oratories and houses of prayer.¹² For this reason, we can never neglect prayer. True prayer exalts God and all His perfections, as beautifully outlined by the Dutch theologian, Herman Witsius:

“Holy prayers render the highest possible honour to God. They contain an acknowledgment and declaration, first, of the supreme majesty of God, to which every knee in heaven and in earth ought to bow. He declares by an oath that he reserves this glory to himself as his peculiar right (Isa. 45:23)… Second, of the all-sufficiency of God, who has in himself all that is necessary for his own happiness, and for that of all his creatures (Pss. 145:13-16; 104:27-31)… Third, of the omniscience and perfect wisdom of God, by which he examines the wants of all his creatures, knows all the prayers of all suppliants, whether they are clothed in speech, or simply conceived in the mind, and has at his command all possible methods of assisting his people, in whatever difficulties they may be placed (Ps. 139:1-4, 17, 18)… Fourth, of the almighty power of God. Whatever we ask from God we acknowledge that he is able to accomplish (Eph. 3:20)… Fifth, of the inexhaustible goodness of God. To this, as a perpetual fountain, all men, at all times and places, have liberty to approach, that ‘with joy they may draw water out of the wells of salvation’ (Isa. 12:3)… Lastly, in prayer we acknowledge that God is all, and we are nothing; that from him and in him is all that we are or have; and that in all things we are dependent on his will.”¹³

It is hard to overstate the personal benefits of prayer. We are utterly dependent upon God for help in all things. Unless we remain supported by God, we would not be able to survive for even a moment, being lowly creatures (Acts 17:28). Without His divine permission, we can do nothing (Isa. 10:15; cf. Job 1:12; 2:6; Mt. 8:31).

God often chooses not to bestow particular blessings, except in answer to prayer. For this reason, James tells us, “You do not have because you do not ask” (Ja. 4:2). But we would receive God’s blessings easily enough if we go before Him with our groanings and prayers. For this reason, God promises, “Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it” (Ps. 81:10). Prayer is absolutely vital to our survival, being part of our spiritual armor (Eph. 6:11-13, 18-20) and a sure defense against evil (Mt. 6:13; 26:41; Mk. 9:29).

These points are nicely summarized by the Puritan Pastor, John Bunyan, “Pray often, for prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge to Satan.”¹⁴

The Duty of Prayer Applies to Everyone

Prayer is an obligation placed on all humans without exception.¹⁵ Herman Witsius explained, “Although the duty of prayer is incumbent on all men without exception, none can discharge it aright but a believing and regenerate person, by the guidance and instruction of the Holy Spirit, who alone forms in their minds the prayers which God accepts. At the same time, the inability of unrenewed men to pray aright does not remove the obligation to prayer… It is certainly much better that unrenewed men should pray in some manner, with a natural conviction of their wants, and an acknowledgment of the Majesty and goodness of God, than that they should not pray at all. The mere fact of their praying, so far as that is concerned, is not displeasing to God, though the sin which cleaves to it is justly condemned… To do a good thing in a defective manner is a smaller evil than to omit it altogether.”¹⁶ Indeed, Scripture provides multiple examples of unbelievers praying and God graciously receiving, as in the cases of King Ahab (1 Ki. 21:27, 29) and the Ninevites (Jonah 3:8-10).¹⁷

As a practical application, we have a responsibility to teach our children to pray from their earliest years, regardless of whether we see marks of regeneration. It is not up to us to determine at what time and by what means God may exert His saving power upon a person. Our duty is simply to teach them to reverently call upon God as an act of worship and dependence. With God’s help, many children will be regenerated and continue to pray throughout their lives. We can be confident that God will bestow faith on all His people for the purpose that they may continue in prayer in lifelong dependence upon Him.¹⁸

Footnotes

1
Witsius, Herman. Sacred Dissertations on the Lord’s Prayer. Reformation Heritage Books, 2010, pp. 43-44.
2
Ibid, pp. 45-50.
3
In contrast, the church of Laodicea was rebuked because of their failure to acknowledge their needs. “You say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked” (Rev. 3:17).
4
Witsius, Herman. Sacred Dissertations on the Lord’s Prayer. Reformation Heritage Books, 2010, p. 46.
5
A tension exists between God’s absolute sovereignty and man’s responsibility in prayer. Dr. J.I. Packer described how “an appearance of contradiction” sometimes arises when “a pair of principles stand side by side, seemingly irreconcilable, yet both undeniable.” This is called an antinomy and is frequently encountered in the Christian faith. It is a seeming contradiction at first, but resolvable when we consider that God not only ordains the end but also appoints the means to the end, a fact that the Bible readily affirms. Packer, J. I. Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God. IVP Books, 2012, pp. 18-23.
6
Witsius, Herman. Sacred Dissertations on the Lord’s Prayer. Reformation Heritage Books, 2010, pp. 47-48.
7
From: https://twitter.com/michaelhorton_/status/724420651335843844 (April 24, 2016).
8
Witsius, Herman. Sacred Dissertations on the Lord’s Prayer. Reformation Heritage Books, 2010, p. 50.
9
This is not to say that God only responds to our requests for help. God is so good that He frequently blesses us, even when we do not explicitly ask. “It is certain that God bestows on us many blessings for which prayers have not been offered, which we did not feel that we needed, and by his grace anticipates our application.” Ibid, p. 50.
10
Witsius, Herman. Sacred Dissertations on the Lord’s Prayer. Reformation Heritage Books, 2010, pp. 51-56.
11
Omission of prayer is characteristic of the ungodly who fail to worship God. For instance, in Jeremiah 10:25, judgment is pronounced upon entire family units who do not pray to God!
12
Witsius, Herman. Sacred Dissertations on the Lord’s Prayer. Reformation Heritage Books, 2010, p. 52.
13
Ibid, p. 53.
14
Bunyan, John. The Complete Works of John Bunyan. Bradley, Garretson & Co., 1872, p. 80.
15
The Westminster Confession of Faith, chapter 21, paragraph 3 states, “Prayer with thanksgiving, being one special part of religious worship, is by God required of all men; and that it may be accepted, it is to be made in the name of the Son, by the help of his Spirit, according to his will, with understanding, reverence, humility, fervency, faith, love, and perseverance; and, if vocal, in a known tongue.”
16
Witsius, Herman. Sacred Dissertations on the Lord’s Prayer. Reformation Heritage Books, 2010, pp. 55-56.
17
Human sinfulness and moral inability do not absolve a person from his or her duties to God. Similar requirements are placed on all humans to repent of their sins and to turn to God. In Acts 17:30-31, the Apostle Paul proclaimed, “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” Consistent with this, the Westminster Confession of Faith, chapter 15, paragraph 1 acknowledges true repentance to be an “evangelical grace” that is given by God to His people (cf. Acts 11:18; 2 Cor. 7:10), but in paragraph 3 also states that “every man is bound to make private confession of his sins to God, praying for the pardon thereof…”
18
Witsius, Herman. Sacred Dissertations on the Lord’s Prayer. Reformation Heritage Books, 2010, p. 56.

Footnotes

Related Articles

1. The Use of Prayer: Part 1

2. The Use of Prayer: Part 2

4. The Use of Prayer: Part 4

5. The Use of Prayer: Part 5

6. The Lord’s Prayer: The Rule of Prayer

7. The Lord’s Prayer: Preface