Why should we pray?

God has revealed His plan

We’ve seen that “in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth,” but what was going on before the beginning?

The Bible reveals that God has always existed in perfect community as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We learn from Jesus’ high priestly prayer in John 17 that the Father has always loved the Son (John 17:26) and has given Him a people out of the world (John 17:2, 6, 9, 24; see also John 10:27–30). We see this plan further explained in Ephesians 1, where Paul says that believers were chosen by God “before the foundation of the world,” that God predestined believers to be adopted into His family “according to the purpose of His will,” (v. 5) — that is, according to His plan.

Believers are chosen in Christ (v. 4), adopted through Christ (v. 5), and are blessed in Christ (v. 3, 6). This points to the gospel, that the Son laid down His life for His people (John 10:15; Ephesians 5:25), accomplishing redemption for them (Ephesians 1:7).

To tie all of this together, the Father’s eternal love towards the Son stirs Him to give the Son a gift, a redeemed people that will love the Son with the very love of the Father (John 17:26). This plan is accomplished ultimately for “the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:6) — that is, for God’s glory.

How should we pray?

God is gathering these chosen ones now, drawing them to the Son (John 6:44). The Son has accomplished salvation for them and when they hear this good news (the gospel), they will forsake their rebellion and believe in Him. The Father has given them to the Son, and the Father “is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand” (John 10:29). The Son Himself says “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out” (John 3:37).

How do we respond in prayer to the revelation of God’s glorious plan? The Bible talks about this plan like it’s a done deal. God’s chosen people are going to be saved, “having been predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will” (Ephesians 1:11). How should we pray?

While the Father has a plan to redeem a group of people and He works all things according to that plan, it’s clear that we have a part to play in prayer.

On more than one occasion, the Apostle Paul asks believers to pray for the gospel to spread through his ministry (Ephesians 6:18–20; 2 Thessalonians 3:1; Colossians 4:2–3). Paul prays for unbelievers to be saved (Romans 10:1). And Paul gives thanks to God for the faith of the Ephesians (Ephesians 1:15–16). May we pray like Paul in this regard. Though God’s plan has been settled before the foundation of the world, it’s clear that our prayers are a part of His plan. God uses our prayers, in some way, to accomplish the spread of the gospel and the salvation of His people.

Join me in praying that the truth of God’s word would help us pray better. In the next post, we’ll look at some practical tips on prayer from DA Carson’s book “A Call to Spiritual Reformation.”