John Piper - Prayer Causes Things to Happen

"Pray Like This: Hallowed Be Your Name"
December 30, 2007

For more resources, visit www.desiringGod.org.
f

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• John
• Piper
• Desiring
• God
• Bethlehem
• Baptist
• Church
• Minneapolis
• Prayer

[Anakrino]

I don't think that is Piper's point. He is demonstrating how wonderful it is that God allows the prayer, which he already knows will be prayed, as a tool to accomplish His will. While these things would not have happened had the prayer not occurred, the prayer could not have not occurred because God has both ordained it and used it as a tool to cause whatever His will is to come to pass.

[damildlyshreddah]

This series is great!

[NekoNickKun]

Two hands working are better than a million clapped in prayer.

[guitarfreak1126]

@yapperdapperdoo, I say this to you out of love and not of wanting to prove you wrong. I don't mean to stir anything up, I just think that, by your comment, your interpretation of an unanswered prayer was not correct.

[guitarfreak1126]

and (2) gives us that moment of disappointment in which our prayer doesn't get answered to bring to realization something that we didn't previously know. This, in turn, could boost our spiritual lives and bring us closer to him; resulting in Him being shown more glory that He deserves.

[guitarfreak1126]

@yapperdapperdoo, I believe you're implying that unanswered prayers are a bad thing. I don't believe unanswered prayers are a negative. God, understanding that answering our prayer would show Himself less glory than NOT answering our prayer, just (1) chooses the option in which He gets more glory,

[tumamacantaybaila]

Your brain needs a tune-up.

[StrumstickJoe]

When I ask a christian if all cancers in the world could be cured with a prayer, he shuffles uneasily; he steals a glance into the empty sack of his faith as if to try to find something, then he begins, not to say that his faith has collapsed, or that he is sorry, but to claim that god moves in ways that cannot be understood by humans - an explanation that could answer any situation; for if I ask him why the cancer is there in the first place – lo! - the same answer!

[yapperdapperdoo]

Yes Jesus, Lord call us to call out to you.

But then I ask, what about the unanswered prayers.

I must be a collosal fool.

[yapperdapperdoo]

Yes Jesus, Lord call us to call out to you.

[Cashmoneyallstars]

Now that is some good theology right there. wow. I got my dosage of conviction for the week.

[kairo714]

See, if God is Sovereign over everything, then of course your prayers do make a difference because, by definition, your prayers being part of God's sovereignty are involved!