I'm still not understanding the connection. How would being a Christian justify prayer if it would be futile anyways if what happens is determined by God's will?
Question: "Why pray? What is the point of prayer when God knows the future and is already in control of everything. If we cannot change God's mind, why should we pray?"
Answer: For the Christian, praying is like breathing. It is easier to do it than to not do it. We pray for a variety of reasons. For one thing, prayer is a form of serving God (
Luke 2:36-38) and obeying Him. We pray because God commands us to pray (
Philippians 4:6-7). Prayer is exemplified for us by Christ and the early church (
Mark 1:35;
Acts 1:14;
2:42;
3:1;
4:23-31;
6:4;
13:1-3). If Jesus thought it was worthwhile to pray, we should also. If He needed to pray to remain in the Fathers will, how much more do we need to pray?
Another reason to pray is that God intends prayer to be the means of obtaining His solutions in a number of situations. We pray in preparation for major decisions (
Luke 6:12-13); to overcome demonic barriers (
Matthew 17:14-21); to gather workers for the spiritual harvest (
Luke 10:2); to gain strength to overcome temptation (
Matthew 26:41); and to obtain the means of strengthening others spiritually (
Ephesians 6:18-19).
We come to God with our specific requests, and we have God's promise that our prayers are not in vain, even if we do not receive specifically what we asked for (
Matthew 6:6;
Romans 8:26-27). He has promised that when we ask for things that are in accordance with His will, He will give us what we ask for (
1 John 5:14-15). Sometimes He delays His answers according to His wisdom and for our benefit. In these situations, we are to be diligent and persistent in prayer (
Matthew 7:7;
Luke 18:1-8). Prayer should not be seen as our means of getting God to do our will on earth, but rather as a means of getting God's will done on earth. Gods wisdom far exceeds our own.
For situations in which we do not know God's will specifically, prayer is a means of discerning His will. If the Syrian woman with the demon-influenced daughter had not prayed to Christ, her daughter would not have been made whole (
Mark 7:26-30). If the blind man outside Jericho had not called out to Christ, he would have remained blind (
Luke 18:35-43). God has said that we often go without because we do not ask (
James 4:2). In one sense, prayer is like sharing the gospel with people. We do not know who will respond to the message of the gospel until we share it. In the same way, we will never see the results of answered prayer unless we pray.
A lack of prayer demonstrates a lack of faith and a lack of trust in Gods Word. We pray to demonstrate our faith in God, that He will do as He has promised in His Word and bless our lives abundantly more than we could ask or hope for (
Ephesians 3:20). Prayer is our primary means of seeing God work in others' lives. Because it is our means of plugging into God's power, it is our means of defeating Satan and his army that we are powerless to overcome by ourselves. Therefore, may God find us often before His throne, for we have a high priest in heaven who can identify with all that we go through (
Hebrews 4:15-16). We have His promise that the fervent prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much (
James 5:16-18). May God glorify His name in our lives as we believe in Him enough to come to Him often in prayer.
Does being a Christian give your prayer some sort of aditional power over the prayer of a non-Christian?
What does God hear? What does God know? There is nothing that God does not know. There is no prayer that any man or woman has ever offered that God does not know about,
O Thou who dost hear prayer, To Thee all men come. (NASB) Psalms 65:2
He knows the content of every prayer ever offered. There is a difference between God hearing our prayers and God answering our prayer as we had desired. The question before us is, "Does God answer the prayers of non-Christians, that is, unbelievers or those who reject Him?"
When God Rejects Prayer. One time I heard a person say that God did not answer his/her prayers. I stopped and asked myself, "Is that true?" As I thought about the comment, I realized the person was really saying God did not give the person what he wanted. God always answers prayer. Sometimes the answer is no. Sometimes the answer is yes. God answers every prayer ever offered to Him but not necessarily like we want.
So, how does God decide when to give us what we want? Or, when does He say "yes!" The first clues come in 1 Peter 3:12 and 1 John 5:14,
FOR THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE UPON THE RIGHTEOUS, AND HIS EARS ATTEND TO THEIR PRAYER, BUT THE FACE OF THE LORD IS AGAINST THOSE WHO DO EVIL. (NASB) 1 Peter 3:12
And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. (NASB) 1 John 5:14
God says "yes" to the prayers of the righteous and to prayers that are according to His will. If you are righteous and asking according to God's will, He hears you!
He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, Even his prayer is an abomination.. (NASB) Prov. 28:9
So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you, Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood (NASB) Isaiah 1:15
If I regard wickedness in my heart, The Lord will not hear; (NASB) Ps 66:18
These passages tell us God will not hear the prayers of the wicked or things inconsistent with His will. And God will not answer the prayers of Christians either, if they are unrepentant (notice the word "regard").
