The problem of reconciling the Sovereignty of God and the Responsibility of man has been debated since time immemorial. The question “Does God Change His mind because of our Prayers?” Is just an off-shoot off this larger theological dilemma.
Arminians think that just about everything depends on man’s “free will”. Of course that is nonsense.
Hyper-Calvinists think that everything is “predestined”. That our choices are irrelevant. That is also nonsense and is similar to “fate” (Kismet) which is taught by Islam – “Que Sera Sera” (whatever will be will be).
The proper and only balanced view is that held by main-stream theologians in the tradition of the Protestant Reformation.
My professor Dr. J.I. Packer wrote what is, in my opinion, the best book on this subject entitled “Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God”. I highly recommend it. Of Course Dr. Packer is also known for his classic work “Knowing God”.
My own view, in keeping with Dr. Packer and the Reformers is that there are certain doctrines in the Bible which are “mysteries” such as the doctrine of the Trinity (one God in three persons) and the Person of Christ (being one person with two natures).
A mystery is something which is clearly revealed in Scripture, but which cannot be reconciled with our puny finite minds. If we could clearly understand everything about God, as finite creatures, then God could not possibly be “infinite”.
Yet man is so proud and arrogant that we try to “reconcile” these irreconcilable mysteries and we end up doing “violence” to the clear teaching of Scripture. This is exactly what Arminians and Hyper-Calvinists have done.
The fact is that Scripture teaches BOTH the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man! This is the 3rd mystery of Scripture!
These two concepts are irreconcilable in human logic, because the revelation that God has given us in Scripture is sufficient for God’s purposes and our needs but is not exhaustive. In other words because God is infinite and we are finite, even after we get to heaven, although we will see Him face to face and not in a mirror darkly, we will still spend the rest of eternity learning new things about God.
In my statement of faith on my website at www.seivright.com I have tried to explain this 3rd mystery in as simple a way as I possibly can using my own words:
“The sovereignty of God. God is in control of, and has authority over all events of the world and our personal lives notwithstanding our human responsibility and accountability to God and the fact that our choices [and our prayers] do make a difference both in time and in eternity”.
In short, I don’t think God ever changes His mind. I also believe that our prayers do change things if they are according to God’s will. If they are not according to God’s will and He doesn’t answer our particular prayer, I hope that changes us to become more humble and submissive to Gods will.
Some people will then point at verses which appear to teach that God “repents” or changes His mind. This would completely contradict all the other verses concerning the “providence” and sovereignty of God which indicate that everything that happens is according to God’s predetermined will and perfect plan.
I believe that the Bible is written from an “anthropomorphic” point of view. It is authored by the Holy Spirit for man from man’s vantage point. The Bible teaches that the sun rises and the sun sets, but we know that the sun doesn’t move around the earth but rather it is the earth that moves around the sun. Similarly, from man’s perspective it would seem that God changes His mind, because it seems so from our perspective. However, from God’s perspective, everything is going along exactly as He planned all along! This is very important, but it is also, as I said, a mystery.
After her husband Jim Elliot was murdered by the Auca Indians in the Amazon Delta, his widow, Elisabeth Elliot, famously said that if she thought that the death of her husband was not part of God’s perfect plan, she could never have been able to live with it.
I hope this helps.
