My notes from Don Carson’s talk in the second session at EMA (Evangelical Ministry Assembly)…
Prayer changes things or does it?
If prayer changes things, how exactly are we to trust God’s sovereignty? If prayer doesn’t change things, why are we supposed to pray?
We hear in intercessory prayer in Scripture the raw edge of desperation. On first look at Scripture we could make a case for both prayer change things or does it change things. Prayer changes things it seems in case of Elijah praying for drought and then rain, or Moses interceding in Exodus 32. Does prayer change things? It seems it doesn’t in the case of Jesus praying your will be done in garden of Gethsemane.
Exodus 32:1-14
One of about 40 passages in Scripture we are told that God relents, normally in response to intercessory prayer. On the face of it prayer seems to change things. But God knows He has Moses to intercede, knows Moses will intercede, and knows that He will relent.
Three controlling theological reflections:
1. God is utterly, unqualifiedly Sovereign
We must not duck that truth. Can’t take Ephesians 1 seriously and duck that truth. To not believe this you have to resort to creative exegesis or take the scissors to Romans 8:28. A bird flies into a window and breaks its neck but never apart from God’s sanction. There is no movement of a galaxy or the tiniest particle apart from Christ’s sanction. Don’t lose this truth.
2. God is personal
Presuppose that person thinks, has emotions, speaks, interacts with other persons, imagines, maintains relationships. In eternity God was a complex One who was never isolated.
God interacts personally with His image bearers. Person to person interaction when God first speaks to human beings. God uses speech to address a person even though He knows the answer to the question when He calls ‘Where are you?’ to Adam. God knows what Adam and Eve has done but still asks the question. He interacts personally.
God responds. Turn to me and be saved. Hosea portrays Him as a betrayed lover. He’s the God of relationships, He’s angry, jealous, loves, feels compassion. As soon as we say these things we run into difficulty of use of language for persons which we use of all persons who are finite. But God is infinite and transcends space and time. What does personhood look like in God?
3. God is never less than all He is
Not sometimes sovereign and sometimes personal. Not sometimes holy and sometimes loving. Not sometimes sovereign and sometimes good. He is never less than all He is.
Two things follow:
a) There is admitted mysteriousness in this. Mysteriousness about God and attributes above our capacity to perceive.
All our relationships occur in time, and response is sequential. But God inhabits eternity. What does it mean for God of eternity to interact with His image bearers in space and time?
God stands behind everything. How can it be that God stands behind Hitler, tsunamis, death of His Son? Surely this threatens God’s goodness. But you must never think God’s sovereignty diminishes His goodness. Limits how far we can push.
In mystery of God’s counsel, He discloses that fall will show the fullness of God’s glory. You can’t turn off God’s attributes. This leads us to mystery and we bow our head and worship.
b) We must allow each biblically revealed attribute of God to function with respect to our prayer life only as it functions in Scripture.
Not draw inferences from one attribute of God than diminishes another.
Philippians 2:12-13: God’s sovereignty causes you to will and act is used as an incentive to work hard – not fatalism. We work out because God is working in us.
Fact God cares about the sparrows is used to encourage us to trust God’s sovereignty not prayerlessness.
Never forget the first part of Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane. Jesus knows His purpose on earth, but prays if possible take this cup. Although He knew the Father’s will He begs take this cup from me. Indicates that there are personal relationship in the mystery of God that must not be swept away by God’s sovereignty.
“Never appeal to God’s sovereignty to diminish your zeal for prayer.”
God will save people, but who knows if God has raised you up for a time like this.
