Why Should I pray ?

During a Bible study session, I once began with the question: "Do you believe you have free will?" Most participants answered with a confident "Yes." However, one person boldly and loudly said, "No!" He truly believed that we do not have free will. While holding such a perspective may not seem like a major concern at first, in reality, it poses two significant issues.

There are two crucial things that are lost when a person believes they do not have free will:

Understanding Free Will and Predestination

To understand these issues, let’s define these terms clearly.

What is Free Will?

According to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, free will is "the freedom of humans to make choices that are not determined by prior causes or by divine intervention." In other words, free will refers to choices made by humans through their own volition.

What is Predestination?

Merriam-Webster defines predestination as "the doctrine that God, in consequence of his foreknowledge of all events, infallibly guides those who are destined for salvation." In short, because God is all-knowing, the belief is that He has chosen certain people for salvation, and they will be saved by any means.

What does the Bible say?

Which view is considered right? Genesis 1:26 speaks directly to the creation of humanity:

Genesis 1:26 (NIV): Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

I have heard some pastors take this too far by saying that since we are made in the image of God, "we are gods." That claim is false. When the Bible says God created us in His image, it means:

If we focus on the aspect of personality, it becomes clear that God created us with the ability to act based on our own will. This shows that we have been given free will; we are able to make choices and decisions based on our own desires and abilities.

The Life of Ishmael

I recently taught on the life of Ishmael. After the study, members of my church asked about free will and predestination based on Genesis 16.

Genesis 16:11–12 (NIV): “You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard of your misery. He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.”

The context is that Hagar ran away because she was mistreated by Sarai. This mistreatment resulted from Hagar’s change in attitude after conceiving Abraham's child. The Angel of the LORD appeared to Hagar and told her two key things:

This raises the question: Is this a prophecy of predestination? Prophecy in the Old Testament generally falls into two categories:

During my study, someone asked: "Since God said he will be hostile, does that mean God is predestining him to a life of hostility?"

The answer is no. God is not predestining him; He is foretelling what Ishmael and his descendants will become. This is similar to how a meteorologist predicts the weather based on atmospheric conditions. God can foretell because He sees and knows everything.

Isaiah 46:10 (NIV): “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come...”

Hagar’s attitude changed the moment she learned she was pregnant. She began to see herself as superior to Sarah. Based on this character trait, a prediction could be made that her descendants would carry a similar spirit. God, knowing the future, saw that Ishmael’s path would lead to hostility. Later, in Genesis 25:18, we see this came true: "And they lived in hostility toward all the tribes related to them."

If God knows everything, why should I pray?

If God knows what path we will take, some wonder if prayer even matters. Think of it this way: there are two paths set before us—Life and Death.

God knows the outcome of both paths. Through the Holy Spirit, we are nudged and motivated to walk the path of life. However, if we choose the other, we face the consequences of that choice.

So, why does prayer matter?

Can prayer stop a disaster?

Yes. God hears us and He answers. When the Israelites complained in the desert, God was ready to strike them.

Numbers 14:11 (NIV): The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt?”

But Moses interceded. He prayed for the people, and finally, God relented:

Numbers 14:20 (NIV): The Lord replied, “I have forgiven them, as you asked.”

Prayer is powerful. God has granted us the privilege of seeking Him. Let us never underestimate the power of prayer by adopting the wrong perspective that everything is fixed and our voices do not matter. Misunderstanding the nature of God in this way can lead to much greater problems in our walk with Him.

• It takes away accountability: According to this view, since everything is orchestrated or predestined by God, if something goes wrong, they believe it was meant to happen and there is nothing they can do about it. They don't feel accountable or responsible because the outcome was "predestined" anyway.
• It takes away the nature of faith: Those who believe in absolute predestination argue that God's choice is final. According to this view, if God has chosen someone for salvation, that person cannot miss it; they are marked for salvation and will achieve it regardless of their choices.
• God has set us apart from the rest of creation. We are distinct from the animal kingdom. Though there are certain biological similarities, we are not the same.
• There is an unbridgeable gap between animals and humans. Unlike animals, man possesses:
• Personality: Knowledge, feelings, and a will.
• Morality: The ability to make moral judgments and possess a conscience.
• Spirituality: The ability to have communion with God.
• A Blessing: God promised to increase her descendants so much they could not be counted. Even though Ishmael was not the child of Sarah, God still chose to bless him because he was Abraham’s son.
• A Foretelling of His Future: God stated Ishmael would be a "wild donkey of a man."
• Foretelling: Predicting the future, similar to a forecast.
• Forthtelling: An exhortation, rebuke, or encouragement used to call people back to God.
• Prayer aligns our life with God’s plan.
• It helps us fulfill God’s will rather than our own selfish desires.
• It helps us submit to Him and stay on the path that leads to eternal life.