“Thus saith the Lord God: I will yet be inquired of by the house of Israel — to do it for them. …And they shall know that I am the Lord!” [Ez.36:37-38]
This text describes and articulates a definite immutable divine principle of saving grace that proves just exactly who are the true praying children of God in this fallen and sinful world. Here is a spiritual principle that declares the truth that true Holy Spirit led prayer always accomplishes God’s will, but never changes it. There is a foreboding misconception that has been propagated that prayer changes things — and it doesn’t. It accomplishes things! Jas.5:16 states it plain and clear, that: “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man — availeth [or, accomplishes] much.”
When God moves His eternally loved and chosen ones to seek Him in prayer, He summons them by His Holy Spirit into His holy presence. They come before His sovereign overruling throne of grace where He allows them to take part in His fulfilling what He has eternally purposed to do and perform by His children’s prayers. If indeed anything is notably changed by their prayers — it is the child of God, himself, through whom the Holy Spirit causes the prayer to be uttered. The immediate providential things that make up our circumstances are going play out exactly as they are supposed to — all in accordance with the sovereign plan of God. It is our immediate circumstances that make up the unfolding reality of almighty God’s immutable (unchangeable) will. Praise His all glorious and mighty Name!
The main thing we should remember in the light of this principle of grace is that it is all important in the life and walk of a true child of God through this fallen world to do as the Word of God commands to do when it says to: “Pray without ceasing!” For to do (and be) what the will of God wants cannot be accomplished without Holy Spirit led prayer. Lk.18:1 says: “Men ought always to pray and not to faint!” A life and walk through this sinful, fallen world that is saturated with prayer, is saturated with life converting and transforming enabling grace.
After Saul of Tarsus had his life transforming Damascus road encounter and divine reckoning with the Lord Jesus Christ, Ananias was commissioned by the Holy Spirit to go to him. The Lord assured him that it was safe for him to go because He told him: “For behold he prayeth!” It is spiritually born from above into the very fabric of the regenerated character of the true believing sinner to know themselves to be so hopelessly helpless in themselves that they naturally become – in and through this world – ardent, earnest prayer warriors before Christ’s throne of sovereign over-ruling grace. This is what the Holy Spirit makes them to be to the glory, only, of almighty God! The child of God continually comes up against impossible opposition in this age of sin and Satan and death and they prayerfully, through Christ, prevail as champions and victors! And, they gladly give all the glory unto Him who called them out of this world’s darkness into His marvelous light. Praise His holy Name!
-For Christ’s Glory Only!
John Carpenter