This post is a continuation from yesterday (CLICK HERE) regarding God changing His mind as a result of His people praying. My contentions are… 1) God does NOT change His mind {Called “The Immutability of God”}, 2) Prayer does NOT change God’s mind, 3) God has decreed that prayer is the means by which he accomplishes His already planned purposes and will.
I have mentioned this elsewhere, so it will be short. Dr. T.W. Hunt gave this answer to me while I was in seminary when I queried, “How does God’s providence and sovereignty work with prayer?” Here was Dr. Hunt’s answer…
All genuine prayer begins with God who places a burden to pray on the heart of a believer. Then the believer prays, but does not know how to rightly pray, so the Holy Spirit intercedes with groanings too deep for words. And since the believer has no right to access God’s throne on his own merits, he prays in the name of Jesus. At which time the prayer returns to God from whom it originated and it is always answered in the affirmative.
Prayer does not change God’s mind or will, prayer is the means by which God accomplishes His will.
This is definitely something to think about. I have never heard it presented in this way and will do more reading and studying on this.