Maybe Yes or No or Perhaps …

As a biblical counselor, I am asked often asked one question more than any other and that is, “Do our prayers really make a difference with God?”  “Can our prayers prevent bad things from happening?”  My first response to this would be to give them an answer in a nutshell and say yes, no, maybe or better yet sometimes.  I do know that for the most part this answer is not the answer that they want to hear or expect.  The truth is that there are just some questions that cannot be answered with a simple cut and dry answer.  The answer that needs to be given is that God is Sovereign and because He is, that sometimes we confront God regarding a situation that has, in the heart and mind of God been decided and determined.  Others I do believe are situations that are still resting in the balance and are depending upon the outcome in the lives of others and are still open for change.  What we must take into consideration in all situations is that there are going to be certain things that are far above that which we can understand. So in regards to the questions that are asked we can find some examples in the scripture.

Example No. 1

“Do our prayers really make a difference with God?”  “Can our prayers prevent bad things from happening?”  In this first illustration one would say No, but it is clearly because the plan of God in this particular situation been laid, David sinned and the consequence of his sin had already been predetermined and prophesied by God that the loss of the child’s life was the consequence of David’s sin with Uriah’s wife Bathsheba.  The loss of this child’s life was something that he would have to face for the rest of his life. 2 Samuel 12:13-15, “So David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’ And Nathan said to David, ‘The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. (14) However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die.’”

When the child became sick we find that David immediately began to plead before God with fasting and prayer for his dying son to live but to no avail (2 Samuel 12:13-31).  We know that God heard his prayers but the answer that David labored for was not the one that he wanted (but had to accept).  I often wonder if David knew that these prayers were not going to be answered favorably.  I do believe that because of his relationship with God that his prayers at this time would result in a strengthening his relationship `with God.  This is most always the case when a believer labors in prayer, their answer may not be that which they seek but their relationship with the Father increases. 

David demonstrates this in that once he receives an answer to his prayer we find that he not only accepted the answer but that he was able to move on with hope.

-          Vs 13-15 He hears the news form the man of God

-          Vs 15-18 His child gets sick and he pleads for the child with prayers and fasting

-          Vs 19 He hears and accepts the news regarding the child’s death

-          Vs 20 He ends his fast, washes and anoints himself

-          Vs 21-23 He shares his hope and that which he had learned from God with others

-          Vs 24 He comforts and consoles his wife

So for David the answer was no, his prayers did not prevent something bad from happening.  What we all did find out here is that sometimes our prayers do not keep bad things from happening but they do help us to deal with the bad things so that they do not get any worse, so that they do not become too overbearing.  They help us to deal with the questions that follow helping us to praise God through all that we have gone through. They provide us with the hope that only God can provide, and finally the hope and strength that we get from God help us to comfort those around us who, like we, are struggling with finding answers from God.

Example No. 2

“Do our prayers really make a difference with God?”  “Can our prayers prevent bad things from happening?”  In this second illustration one would say Yes. It is in this passage we find that King Hezekiah, who was one of the most prominent kings of Judah found in Scripture and is one of the kings mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:9-10) is sick and he had been told that he would not recover from this illness.  So we find that the king turned his face away from men and prayed to God to be healed.  He like David hears bad news from the man of God and like David he too turns his face from men and plants himself firmly before the Lord.  Hezekiah was more fortunate than most because he received an answer from God and one quickly as God sent Isaiah back to him to let him know his prayer had been answered.

King Hezekiah’s Life is Spared – 2 Kings 20:1-11 (also see Isaiah 38 & 39)

-          Vs 1 He hears the news of his impending death

-          Vs 2 & 3 He turns his face to the wall an prays & weeps for healing

-          Vs 5 & 7 He learns from the Prophet that God had heard and is answering his prayers granting him 15 more years of life and will deliver his kingdom out of the battle they were in

-          Vs 8 - 11 His proof was the sun dial moving backwards 10 degrees

For King Hezekiah, the answer was yes, his prayers were answered and he received a sign from God that his healing came directly from God.  What we find out with Hezekiah is that he, like David went to the Temple after he received the answer.  We find that not only was King Hezekiah’s life spared but others around him were as well.  Though King Hezekiah received a direct confirmation from God that God had healed him we cannot expect that today but we can, if we look close enough, see His direct hand of involvement in our answer.

Example No. 3

“Do our prayers really make a difference with God?”  “Can our prayers prevent bad things from happening?”  In the following illustrations from 2 Samuel 24:11-25 (and 1 Chronicles 21:8-18), you can probably give an answer of Yes, No, Maybe?  For King David, the answer was yes, no, maybe.

First of all I believe that we can say Yes because the plague had stopped notice 2 Samuel 14:17, “And David spake unto the Lord when he saw the angel that smote the people…”  We can think yes because David did repent and confront both God and the man of God with his plea and repented of the sin that had caused this action to take place.

Second, I believe that the answer to our question can be No, because it was not stopped before people lost their lives and God somewhat mentions that there was an appointed time to end the plague, 2 Samuel 14:15, “So the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men.”  I can also see No as an answer because God himself was finished with the plague 2 Samuel 24:16, “…the Lord repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, It is enough: stay now thine hand…”

Third I believe that we can also say that the answer could be Maybe. I mention this as a possible answer to our question, “Were David’s prayers answered?”  I say maybe because David did repent and confront both God and the man of God with his plea.  “And David spake unto the Lord when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house” (2 Samuel 24:17)  We can say maybe because David did recognized that he was to blame for the judgment.  We can say maybe because David did pray and repent that could be what caused the Lord to repent and stay the angel’s hand.  We must remember that in this passage that we find the plan of God had been laid, David’s sin and the consequence of his sin rested in the loss of life of seventy thousand souls in Israel and we see that God Himself stopped the Angle from proceeding.  So we can say maybe.

A plague was initiated and stayed because of the Sin of David – 2 Samuel 24:11-25 (and 1 Chronicles 21:8-18)

-          Vs 11-13 He is confronted by the Man of God as to his sin before God and the consequences thereof

-          Vs 14  David rationalizes the consequences and wisely chooses to place his judgment in the hands of the LORD and not men

-          Vs 15 & 16a The judgment of the LORD is inflicted upon the people of Israel as the hand of the angel of God

-          Vs 16b The LORD repents of the outcome of the plague that He has inflicted upon Israel and calls for the angel to stop

-          Vs 17 David calls out to the LORD and repents of his sin, asking God to stop the angel from inflicting further pain on others because of his sin

-          Vs 18 The LORD send the man of God back to David with instructions on what God has for him to do

-          Vs 19-25  We see David’s obedience and worship of the LORD at a personal cost to him

Wrapping it up

From what I see in all of this is that all really boils down to one thing and that is in the Sovereignty of God.  We must believe that He is sovereign and we must believe and trust in Him for all things that matter in both faith and practice.  Yes there are times when our prayers reach the ear of God and changes are made.  Sometimes they reach His ear and the He has already put the plan into motion and the change that we request is not one that is granted.  And finally because of the Sovereignty of God He has already granted the change that we request before or as we request it.  He already knows the thoughts and intents of our heart (Hebrews 4:12).

Final Note 

I do believe that Abraham said it best a long time ago, “Shall not the judge of all the earth deal justly?” (Genesis 18:25 ASB).  A hard truth for all to grasp is that God is just and always has dealt justly with man.  It is man who screams out for justice from God and they do so seeking a self-justice.  When you cry out to God for justice what they will receive instead is purely moral–justice.  Justice is a term used for “what is right” but man also wants to set the standard for “what is right,” but God cannot let that be.  Justice is one of God’s attributes and it flows out of His holiness.  In the bible we find that justice and righteousness are often found to be synonyms of each other.  We find that righteousness is the quality or character of being right or just and it is noted as an attribute of God, this one attribute incorporates both His justice and holiness.  It is a hard truth for all to grasp but due to his Holy nature, God is just and always has to be just. 

We must praise Him because there is an added favor to the justice He sends out.  This favor is that along with His justice we also receive His Mercy and Grace.  Though our finite minds constantly grapple with this and most can never grasp the truth of it.  It is far better for us to live under the umbrella of God’s Mercy and Grace then to live solely under His umbrella of justice.