“Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you: – 2nd Thessalonians 3:1
I’m sure glad I’m not the only one who thinks this way — the logic goes like this:
- God lives outside of time, it is all now to him;
- God acts on prayer from us;
- So why can’t my prayer now affect events in the past as easily as the future?
Logically there is no reason why not but how can they if they have already happened? When Paul or Jesus in the Bible asks believers to pray for something is it not biblical for me to pray now?
Philip Yancey in his book on prayer thinks through the same thing, finding help from C.S.Lewis
“How does God’s timelessness affect prayer? C.S.Lewis decided it altogether reasonable to pray at noon for a medical consultation that might have been conducted at ten o’clock as long as we do not know the final result before we pray. “The event certainly has been decided — in a sense it was decided ‘before all worlds.’ But one of the things taken into account in deciding it, and therefore one of the things that really cause it to happen, may be this very prayer that we are now offering.” – Prayer, by Philip Yancey quoting C.S.Lewis, Miracles pg. 185-6
Prayer:“Father I pray for the Apostle Paul, as he requested so many years ago, that your words spoken through him will have free course to spread, glorifying God in my life and in my world! Amen!”
— fritz@langgang.com
Patrikin - Kinship through The Father 