“Every one has turned away; all have gone wrong. No one anywhere has kept on doing what is right; not one” (Romans 3:12 TLB).
Despite the discouraging assessment of human nature presented to us here in Romans 3:11-12, there is cause for hope. That hope is found in the Biblical encouragement to pray…
“First of all, then, I urge that petitions (specific requests), prayers, intercessions (prayers for others) and thanksgivings be offered on behalf of all people, for kings and all who are in [positions of] high authority, so that we may live a peaceful and quiet life in all godliness and dignity” (1 Timothy 2:1-2 AMP).
We find similar encouragements in Philippians 4:6-7, Colossians 4:2, and 1 Thessalonians 5:17. But even though God’s Word counsels us to pray on behalf of others, does prayer actually change God’s mind concerning the things we pray for?
The answer is “no,” for God is omniscient, and an all-knowing Being cannot change His mind. Since God knows all that He will or will not do, our prayers cannot change His mind. However, consider the insights offered by the following author…
“The Bible says there are certain things God has decreed from all eternity. Those things will inevitably come to pass. If you were to pray individually or if you and I were to join forces in prayer or if all the Christians of the world were to pray collectively, it would not change what God, in His hidden counsel, has determined to do.
…When God hangs His sword of judgment over people’s heads, and they repent and He then withholds His judgment, has He really changed His mind? The mind of God does not change for God does not change. Things change, and they change according to His sovereign will, which He exercises through secondary means and secondary activities. The prayer of His people is one of the means He uses to bring things to pass in this world. So if you ask me whether prayer changes things, I answer with an unhesitating ‘Yes!’” (1)
This is exactly how God promised to interact with human beings who live in this temporal world (see Ezekiel 33:14-16, 19). So, while it may seem as if we are not having much of an impact for God, our prayerful influence may be more significant than we realize. For example, how do you know that others have not been rescued from harm because of your Godly influence? How do you know that God has not spared others from serious misfortune because you were diligent to pray for them?
How do you know that you are not one of those secondary means that God intends to bring about His will in the lives of others? Whenever you pray (or have prayed), you can rest assured that God knew what you were going to pray- and perhaps He may have ordained your prayer as the means of accomplishing His purpose in someone else’s life.
(1) Does prayer change God’s mind? (n.d.). Ligonier Ministries. https://learn.ligonier.org/articles/does-prayer-change-gods-mind [emphasis added]