Then prayer is meaningless.
Think of the things you pray for (i.e. the salvation of others, the spreading of the gospel, the spreading of the kingdom, your own personal faith, hope, and love, etc.). Okay now imagine a God who has no power over any of those things, or in other words, imagine Him as most people do.
Though no one will outright say this type of thing, it is the inevitable conclusion of their thought of God.
Think about it:
1) If God is not sovereign in the spreading of the gospel and conversion of souls, then why pray to God that it will be done?
2) If God is not sovereign in the Christian life, in the providence He has in your life (cf. Rom. 8:28), and in conforming you to the image of the Son (2 Thess 2:13, Heb. 12:2), then why pray to Him. Just do it yourself. By your own will defeat satan, by your own will transform your heart and rid it of evil, by your own will build up faith and hope and love.
But! If you believe in a sovereign God. A working and active and living God. A God working through you and through the word by His Holy Spirit ...then pray to Him. Pray for the salvation of souls, pray for the advance of the kingdom of Christ, pray for holiness and sanctification, pray for the care of others and for the perseverance of brothers and sisters in Christ.
You have two ways you can think of prayer. 1) A casual talk with God. One in which you merely tell Him about how your going to do things by your own strength. 2) A plea for the working of God. That His will would be done on earth as it is in heaven.
"Your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him..." -Matthew 6:8-
Use the means God has given. Glorify Him and praise His name in prayer, and pray that His will would be done.
Though no one will outright say this type of thing, it is the inevitable conclusion of their thought of God.
Think about it:
1) If God is not sovereign in the spreading of the gospel and conversion of souls, then why pray to God that it will be done?
2) If God is not sovereign in the Christian life, in the providence He has in your life (cf. Rom. 8:28), and in conforming you to the image of the Son (2 Thess 2:13, Heb. 12:2), then why pray to Him. Just do it yourself. By your own will defeat satan, by your own will transform your heart and rid it of evil, by your own will build up faith and hope and love.
But! If you believe in a sovereign God. A working and active and living God. A God working through you and through the word by His Holy Spirit ...then pray to Him. Pray for the salvation of souls, pray for the advance of the kingdom of Christ, pray for holiness and sanctification, pray for the care of others and for the perseverance of brothers and sisters in Christ.
You have two ways you can think of prayer. 1) A casual talk with God. One in which you merely tell Him about how your going to do things by your own strength. 2) A plea for the working of God. That His will would be done on earth as it is in heaven.
"Your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him..." -Matthew 6:8-
Use the means God has given. Glorify Him and praise His name in prayer, and pray that His will would be done.
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