Prayer Changes the Man

Prayer Changes the Man

And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. --John 14:13-14

In all our praying, however, it is important that we keep in mind that God will not alter His eternal purposes at the word of a man. We do not pray in order to persuade God to change His mind. Prayer is not an assault upon the reluctance of God, nor an effort to secure a suspension of His will for us or for those for whom we pray. Prayer is not intended to overcome God and "move His arm." God will never be other than Himself, no matter how many people pray, nor how long nor how earnestly.

God's love desires the best for all of us, and He desires to give us the best at any cost. He will open rivers in desert places, still turbulent waves, quiet the wind, bring water from the rock, send an angel to release an apostle from prison, feed an orphanage, open a land long closed to the gospel. All these things and a thousand others He has done and will do in answer to prayer, but only because it had been His will to do it from the beginning. No one persuades Him.

What the praying man does is to bring his will into line with the will of God so God can do what He has all along been willing to do. Thus prayer changes the man and enables God to change things in answer to man's prayer. The Price of Neglect, pp. 51-52

"Eternal God, I realize that I am in no position to tell You how to run Your universe--or even my tiny corner of it. Yet somehow You have given me the awesome privilege of communing with You, bringing my requests, and waiting upon You to bring my will in line with Yours. Then somehow You work in answer to my prayer! Thank You. Amen."

A.W. Tozer

What is man the You have given us a part in this? in the work of Your hands?

What the praying man does is to bring his will into line with the will of God so God can do what He has all along been willing to do. Thus prayer changes the man and enables God to change things in answer to man's prayer.

Blessed morning Sister

How like Him that He gives the greatly needed thing to us in the "part" we have. The preeminence of Christ. Like when we give praise to Him, even all our offerings, it is like saying, "Amen. It is true." This is the grace: to be In Him, exactly as Jesus said, John 17: 23 and the whole of that prayer.

Many, many Saints have said this. It is a great Encouragement to Pray. Whatever the difficulty or need and when there is no known difficulty. Men aught always to pray for it is God who works in us both to will and to do His good pleasure.

Oh Praise Him, praise His Holy Name!

[addition: I love what brother Frank posts from Tozer in the thread "Experiencing the Presence of God" at the very time this was posted. Take a look.]

[Sample: “... to become suddenly aware that we are in God and that God is in us. ... And always He is trying to get our attention, to reveal Himself to us, to communicate with us. ..... It is not the praying sheep Satan fears but the presence of the shepherd.
“ ... So it is that the Presence and the Name constitute the true assembly of believers and it is recognized by God in heaven.”] Assemble us Father (gather us together in one), even in these [u]confer[/u]ences that we may confer together with You.]

Prayer is not intended to overcome God and "move His arm." God will never be other than Himself, no matter how many people pray, nor how long nor how earnestly.

I got to share that this is NOT saying "don't pray because you can't change God's mind;" no, on the contrary. It takes all the burdens off of you if you have been taught, "I need to pray 2 hours today" or "I didn't pray long enough and loud enough for God to hear me." "Oh someone is sick or died and it's my fault because I could have prayed longer or louder but I didn't." Satan puts that pressure on us, not God.

John 16.25-7: [i]"I have been speaking to you in parables—but the time is coming to give up parables and tell you plainly about the Father. When that day comes, you will make your requests to him in my name, for I need make no promise to plead to the Father for you, for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.[/i] (Philips)

If Jesus doesn't "plead" on our behalf anymore, maybe we shouldn't either! And we went over trust, when you trust someone, you don't have to plead. You trust Him because you have a relationship with Him and that [b]the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God[/b]. Had I not been studying the new covenant with Zac Poonen, I would not have gotten this OR it might have taken ANOTHER 30 years! (grin)

We even went over [b]"christianese"[/b] (huge grin), talking right in front of others and looking like you're walking right (you can quit your drinking, smoking and cussing (those are OUTWARD & good things to quit) but in reality, anyone can change those things), we can quit them to "LOOK" holy and still not be changed on the INSIDE) and in your mind and heart be as far from God as the unbelieving sinner. You can fool me and others but you can't fool God.

Anyway, this helped me way more than it helped them! {That's what I'm talking about - change!!} Thank you again, Lee!

God bless you!!

Lysa, you are welcome.
I'm grateful that the writings of these men are here on SI for us to share with one another.

Thank you for your faithful service to our Lord.

May the Lord be Praised