Does God Affect our Lives Outside of the Word? – The Implications of Believing in Prayer
The all-important disclaimers:
*I believe that the miraculous powers of the Apostles in the new testament (healing, prophecy, tongues, etc…) are no longer given. I believe they were intended for the Church only in its infancy for the confirmation of the word of God.
*Any reference to “God’s work,” “impact,” ”effect,” etc. in the world today is meant in non-miraculous sense according to the traditional definition of a “miracle.”
*Any reference to “God’s work,” “impact,” ”effect,” etc. in the world today in no way contradicts, adds to, or subtracts from the truths written in the perfect and complete Bible.
Rather than waste time with a wordy introduction, let me give you two sentences that get directly to the point…
There are many who affirm the position that God or the Holy Spirit do not guide or assist Christians today in any way outside of the word (Bible). I believe this view is incompatible with the biblical doctrine of prayer.
We have many examples of prayer and many commands to pray in the Bible:
1. 1Ti 2:1 - First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people
2. Php 4:6 - do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
3. Jas 1:5 - If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
Prayer is an integral part of the Christian life and many preachers have warned us of the danger of its neglect. But how often do we really consider what we are asking for when we pray? How often do we really consider what is necessary for our requests to be granted? What is it we are asking God to do?
Christians believe prayer actually works, it makes a difference, and it changes things. We believe there is a real difference when a particular circumstance is prayed about vs. when it isn’t.
Is it not the case that in prayer we are asking God to, in some unforeseen way, orchestrate the events of our world to bring about a requested outcome? For Him to influence the facts? It seems to me that almost all Christians would affirm this to be true.
But in responding affirmatively, are we not admitting that God works outside of the word? That He influences the lives of Christians outside of just the Bible?
Prayer is a request for God to work in our lives outside the covers of the Bible!
Let me give some more practical examples:
1. Every morning before going to work, I pray for safety on the highway. What is it that I’m asking God for when I make this request? I am asking Him to, in some way, influence me, the other drivers, or my surroundings to keep my car from hitting another or careening off the road. I believe, and I believe the Bible teaches, that my prayer actually impacts my drive to work. But how? How does it work? Does God subconsciously cause me to look up from my car radio in time to avoid Bambi’s dad on the side of the road? Does He somehow influence the drivers around me? Does He cause a strong gust of wind to blow debris off the road before I arrive?
The Answer: I don’t know! The way God works is often hidden from us, but those who believe in prayer believe that God guides our lives in ways we cannot understand or explain and His effect is one that is outside of the Word (the Scriptures). If we don’t believe God works outside of the word, we should not waste time praying, rather we should spend 5 more minutes reading our Bible in the morning.
2. It is almost impossible to visit a congregation of Christians without hearing someone pray for a sick person. We believe, and the Bible confirms, that prayer has an impact on the sick. When we pray for God to help a sick person, what are we asking? Is it not the case that we are asking God to help a surgeon achieve some end he/she wouldn’t have otherwise reached? Or that God would cause the body of the sick person to accept a drug more positively than it otherwise would have? Or that God would providentially direct the sick person to go to a doctor who knows exactly how to heal them, a doctor who they otherwise wouldn’t have visited? We believe that our prayers for the sick make a difference. If we aren’t expecting God to impact the situation by changing the facts, why are we wasting time praying? Wouldn’t things have turned out the same way whether we prayed or not?
If God works in the world today ONLY through the word, prayer is rendered useless as a way to make petition.
It seems to me, the only way a person could biblically argue a “word only” position would be to say that all of the examples and instructions in the Bible to pray were only relevant in the 1st Century Church when the Spirit was present in a miraculous form (or perhaps until the Bible was completed and compiled). I assume, a person who held such a view would have to approach the 3 verses listed above in the following way:
1. 1Tim 2:1 - Rather than making prayers for all people (as Paul instructed in the 1st Century), we should read our Bible more and tell others to read their Bibles more and make application. This is the only reasonable thing to do because God, Christ, and the Spirit will only impact people through the Bible. They will be of no more assistance to us beyond what is written down in Scripture, therefore a prayer about the situation is pointless.
2. Php 4:6 – Only those in the 1st Century are instructed to pray to relieve anxiety. Today, God will do nothing for the anxious person outside of His word, therefore, an anxious person should read their Bible more. Time spent in prayer will be of no benefit.
3. Jas 1:5 – We have been given all the wisdom we need in the Bible. God will no longer be of any assistance in granting wisdom outside of reading the written word. Rather than asking God for wisdom, we should read the Bible more.
It seems to me, a person would have to surrender the “word only” position if they affirmed their prayers had ANY impact on the outcome of the requests made in the above three verses.
I, for one, and I imagine many others, do not believe discarding prayer is the biblically accurate or responsible thing to do. Therefore, I must accept its implications. Those implications lead me to believe God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit can, if they choose, impact God’s children and the world around them in ways outside of reading the word (but in ways always consistent with that Word).
Please note, it is not essential for us to be able to explain how or when God or the Holy Spirit work in our lives to guide us! If God tells us through His word that prayer works, then prayer works! This is an important point because many people reject the idea of God’s work and guidance because they cannot put their finger on the exact time and place of its occurrence, and that makes them uncomfortable. But most of us already agree that 99% of the time we don’t know the details of God’s responses in regards to our prayers. It is not necessary, nor was it the intention of God, for us to be able to explain the intricacies of His sovereign governance. God is likely involved in innumerable things to which we are not privy and the precedent of Scripture makes it clear that God has never felt the need to disclose all of His secrets to the minds of curious men.
I do not write this article to be dogmatic, as one who once held to a “word only” position, I am only attempting to clarify an inconsistency (in my mind) of that position, one I do not often hear addressed. I have heard some Bible teachers slam the door on God’s work in the world, some even mocking the idea of a God who is such an incompetent writer that He needs to work outside of His word. I believe those statements are dangerous. Examining prayer more closely may cause us to leave the door open for the work of God and the Holy Spirit in our lives.
