by Marin Hendrix

Many people ask themselves “Does my prayer change the mind of our God?” wondering whether their prayer really affects God’s plan. There is strong evidence that prayer does not and will not change God’s mind. You may be thinking “Why? God has changed His mind in the Bible multiple times!”. Perhaps you are considering the passages in Exodus 32 or Numbers 14 where God threatens to destroy His people but relents and proceeds to not carry out the threat. At first glance these passages support the idea that God changes His mind. But with a little more digging it becomes clear that God’s mind does not change, merely how He accomplishes His plan may change. Continue reading to learn more about the truth of God’s character and how our prayers might impact the way He fulfills His plan.

Prayer Does Not Change God’s Mind Because of His Immutability

Prayer does not change God’s mind because of His immutable character. The word immutable means “not capable or susceptible to change”, therefore using this definition God is unchanging and cannot be changed by anything (Immutable). There are a multitude of passages in the Bible that mention God’s immutability. For example, in Malachi 3:6 God states “I, the Lord, do not change”. It is important to understand that God’s mind is part of His entity and therefore “the mind of God does not change for God does not change.” (Sproul)

There are some passages where God threatens His people but suggests that if they repent He will not bring about the threat, knowing in advance whether the people will turn back to Him. In these situations, it appears God changed His mind; yet He is really bringing about His plan that was previously in place. He stays “the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). It is easy for these situations to confuse people about God’s character, but it is important to remember that it is not really God changing his mind, but it is Him bringing His will to pass through the prayers of His people.

What Prayer May Change

If prayer cannot change God’s mind, what can it do? Well, there are two major things prayer may change: the way that God brings about His will and the heart of His people. Look at Numbers 14 where the people of Israel are grumbling and suggesting that it would be better for them to return to Egypt rather than die in the wilderness. This plan directly opposes God’s instruction, and their rebellion leads to the Lord threatening to “strike them with the pestilence and disinherit” the Israelites (Numbers 14:12). At this warning Moses intercedes, pleading with the Lord to not destroy His people. It appears that God has changed His mind, for God then announces He “has pardoned” the people (Numbers 14:20). Yet really God has used His “threat of judgement to motivate His people [the Israelites] to repentance.” (Sproul)

There are two major things prayer may change: the way that God brings about His will and the heart of His people

In addition to prayer being powerful in how God brings about His will, God also uses prayer to change His people. God foreknew what Moses would pray and ordained that specific things would happen in response to his prayers. It can change our relationship with God, and it is evident that Moses grew closer to God through his desperate prayer.

God may use prayer to shape a person’s will, leading them back to Him. Another situation involving Moses is in Exodus 32, where God threatens His people because they are sinning and worshipping a golden calf instead of their Creator. Moses is distraught and through prayer he sincerely asks the Lord to “forgive their sin” and not release His wrath upon the people (Exodus 32:32). When he finishes praying it appears as though the Lord changes His mind, for He relents and does not destroy the people. In this passage God is using His threat to strengthen Moses and to bring about His will for Moses’s life. God knew that Moses would pray asking the Lord to relent form this threat and weaved it into His plan. God uses prayer to progress His plan and bring about His will for His people.

Conclusion

In conclusion prayer does not change God’s mind because He himself is unchanging. His immutable character has been established throughout Scripture squashing any argument that God can be changed. However, prayer may change the way that God brings His purpose to pass. Often, like with Moses’ prayer, God may say one thing knowing that person will pray and use that prayer to bring himself glory. Although prayer does not change God’s mind, it is important for our relationship with Him, and we should continue to pray knowing that it may change the way God brings about His will and our own hearts. We may not truly ever understand the reasoning behind God’s actions after a person prays, but we can trust that it is part of His plan and that He is using it for His ultimate glory.