Does Prayer Change Things?

Crucial Questions #3

by R.C. Sproul

Summary

Does prayer make any difference? Does it really change anything? Yes, says Dr. R.C. Sproul in this Crucial Questions booklet. Though we cannot hope that our prayers will change God's mind, prevailing upon Him to act against His will, we can be sure that prayer does change things—including our own hearts. Plus, it is one of the chief means by which God carries out His will in the world.

For these reasons, Dr. Sproul argues, prayer has a vital place in the life of the Christian. In short chapters packed with practical wisdom, he unveils the purpose, the pattern, the practice, the prohibitions, and the power of prayer, calling Christians to come before God's presence with joy and hope.

Chapters

The Place of Prayer The Purpose of Prayer The Pattern of Prayer The Practice of Prayer The Prohibitions of Prayer The Power of Prayer

Resources

Part of the Crucial Questions booklet series

Genres: Christian, Theology, Prayer, Christianity, Nonfiction, Christian Living, Religion

88 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 30, 1998

About the author

Dr. R.C. Sproul (1939–2017) was founder of Ligonier Ministries, an international Christian discipleship organization located near Orlando, Fla. He was founding pastor of Saint Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, Fla., first president of Reformation Bible College, and executive editor of Tabletalk magazine.

Ligonier Ministries began in 1971 as the Ligonier Valley Study Center in Ligonier, Pa. In an effort to respond more effectively to the growing demand for Dr. Sproul’s teachings and the ministry’s other educational resources, the general offices were moved to Orlando in 1984, and the ministry was renamed.

Dr. Sproul’s radio program, Renewing Your Mind, is still broadcast daily on hundreds of radio stations around the world and can also be heard online. Dr. Sproul produced hundreds of lecture series and recorded numerous video series on subjects such as the history of philosophy, theology, Bible study, apologetics, and Christian living.

He contributed dozens of articles to national evangelical publications, spoke at conferences, churches, and academic institutions around the world, and wrote more than one hundred books, including The Holiness of God, Chosen by God, and Everyone’s a Theologian. He signed the 1978 Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy and wrote a commentary on that document. He also served as general editor of the Reformation Study Bible, previously known as the New Geneva Study Bible.

Dr. Sproul had a distinguished academic teaching career at various colleges and seminaries, including Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando and Jackson, Miss. He was ordained as a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America.

Reviews

[Justin Tapp · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great, short book that I would recommend to anyone asking "Why do we pray? What's the point if God is omniscient? How do we pray?" Ligonier has made this and others free for Kindle, so I highly recommend adding it to your library today.

Sproul writes (spoiler alert):

"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!'" (Loc. 100)

"Prayer, like everything else in the Christian life, is for God's glory and for our benefit, in that order" (Loc. 64). Prayer reminds us that God is in control, we are not, and He is sovereign over every circumstance of the universe as it unfolds.


"If I thought even for one moment that a single molecule were running loose in the universe outside the control and domain of almighty God, I wouldn't sleep tonight" (Loc. 44)...God's sovereignty casts no shadow over the prayer of adoration. God's foreknowledge or determinate counsel does not negate the prayer of praise" (Loc. 73).


Prayer intrinsically changes us and our attitudes.

"What prayer most often changes is the wickedness and the hardness of our own hearts. That alone would be reason enough to pray, even if none of the other reasons were valid or true" (Loc. 119).
"Prayer prompts and nurtures obedience, putting the heart into the proper 'frame of mind' to desire obedience" (Loc. 15).
"Peter did not pray, and as a result he fell into temptation. What is true of Peter is true of all of us...we fall in private before we ever fall in public" (Loc. 37).


When we pray we acknowledge that God gave us a way to Him through Jesus and that we are loved and accepted and forgiven because of Christ:

"When God promises us that He will forgive us, we insult His integrity when we refuse to accept it. To forgive ourselves after God has forgiven us is a duty as well as a privilege" (Loc. 291).


But if God is omniscient and knows what I need before I ask, why bother praying? Foremost, because God commands us to:

"Regardless of whether prayer does any good, if God commands us to pray, we must pray" (Loc. 50). Prayer is about maintaining a relationship with someone who we are to love more than any other:
"Spurgeon said that 'the proud sinner wants Christ, and his own parties; Christ, and his own lusts; Christ, and his own waywardness. The one who is truly poor in spirit wants only Christ'" (Loc. 519).


(Perhaps my favorite quote:)

"Yes, He knows what is in my mind, but I still have the privilege of articulating to Him what is there (Loc. 70)...If God knows what I'm going to say before I say it, His knowledge, rather than limiting my prayer, enhances the beauty of my praise (Loc. 75)...I may not understand the relationship between divine sovereignty and human responsibility, but I do realize that what stems from the wickedness of my own heart may not be assigned to the will of God...There will always be a conflict between divine sovereignty and human autonomy. There is never a conflict between divine sovereignty and human freedom (Loc. 110).


Sproul recommends the ACTS acronym of prayer, Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication, and unpacks each biblically. Ultimately, we become better at prayer only by praying: "To become accomplished in anything, we must practice. If we want to learn how to pray, then we must pray-and continue to pray" (Loc. 632).

One seeming contradiction is Sproul's earlier mention that Jesus modeled for his disciples praying to God as "Daddy" in Aramaic, which would have been shocking and heretical. But that's the relationship we have now through Christ. However, Sproul returns later and scolds those who "would speak (to God) as if to a friend at a baseball game" (Loc. 369). "We should not come rushing into God's presence arrogantly, assaulting Him with our petty requests, forgetting whom we are addressing" (Loc. 235).

Even with that minor point I would not hesitate to give this book to anyone; it'd be the first I'd recommend on the subject. I would like to read Tim Keller's recent book on prayer before the year is up. Unfortunately, my time reading is often time spent not praying, and that is something I have struggled with. Prayer is one of the hardest things for me to do. 4.5 stars out of 5.

[Elly Hamby · Rating 4 out of 5]

“If we really knew who God is and what He has given us in Christ , our prayer lives would be far different than what they are”

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great summary of why and how Christians should pray which uses enough Biblical references and quotations from other theologians to prove Sproul’s points while still staying in the realm of an introduction or concise summary of the topic of prayer. I read this after reading a particularly Biblically unsound chapter on the same topic in the book my women’s small group is doing, and in comparison, Sproul provided an accessible yet delightfully Biblical and doctrinal alternative to that book’s view.

[Lundy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This little book was very convicting. It speaks about the importance of prayer in the life of the Christian. No other aspect of the Christian life is more neglected. The ultimate answer to the title is yes, prayer does change things but God's mind does not change. I had to go back after I read half of it and read it again more thoroughly. The content in this book is important to understand and absorb.

[Tim Suffield · Rating 2 out of 5]

As is often the case with these Sproul books, there's some good basic material, but they are marketed wrongly. This one contains lots of solid introductory stuff on prayer, but the question posed in the title is only briefly addressed in the first chapter. I was hoping for some reflection on this, some stories, some sense of how we should wrestle with the apparent tension, etc.

This is a case of reader expectation more than anything else, but this one didn't meet mine at all.

[Raniele Oliveira · Rating 5 out of 5]

O autor nos trás de forma bem equilibrada o que é a oração, e nos ajuda a responder pessoalmente e intimamente a pergunta, a oração muda as coisas? Lembrando sempre que Deus é Deus e não deve nada a ninguém, Ele é soberano sobre todas as coisas, e nos ama.

[Mel]

I can't rate this book because I don't feel like I was the intended audience for it.

This book speaks about the elements of a prayer, answering questions such as "Why do we pray if God knows it all already?"; "what kind of mind set and attitude do we need when we pray?"; "What should we include in the prayer?" etc. This book is written for Christians and believers, so it goes into details of the duty of a prayer, which bridges the relationship between God and the believer. Further more, it breaks down parts of the prayer so the reader can understand what exactly should be included in there, and the reasons for the inclusion. The writing style of this book is very majestic which pose the impression a prayer should have.

For those who are no-believers yet, this book will help you grab a good grasp of the importance and ideas of a prayer. However, this book is also very strict on the definitions (ie, very black and white on who sinners are etc) which may be a bit of a turn off for some.

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good booklet on prayer. Doctrinal. Clear. And short.

Chapter 1 is on the importance of prayer.
Chapter 2 is about the reason for prayer (especially in light of God's sovereignty)
Chapter 3 is about the pattern of prayer laid out in the Lord's Prayer
Chapter 4 unpacks the common acrostic for prayer A-C-T-S
Chapter 5 discusses reasons why prayer doesn't 'work' sometimes
Chapter 6 offers concluding remarks about prayer

[Crystal Amsberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

“What is the goal of the Christian life? It is godliness born of obedience to Christ. Obedience unlocks the riches of the Christian experience. Prayer prompts and nurtures obedience, putting the heart into the proper “frame of mind” to desire obedience.”

Excerpt From: R. C. Sproul. “Does Prayer Change Things?.”

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

Go, R.C.! I loved the way he clearly addresses this important topic, including the place, purpose, pattern, practice, prohibitions, and power of prayer. It was convicting and encouraging to me and made me want to really concentrate on my own prayer life.

[Ludmila Pellejero Arriola · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Si existe un secreto para aprender a orar, no es distinto al de cualquier emprendimiento. Para volvernos expertos en cualquier cosa, debemos practicar. Si queremos aprender a orar, entonces debemos orar; y seguir orando."
R. C. Sproul

[Sarai Estrada · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un libro corto y con un tema aparentemente básico y simple pero espectacularmente necesario.
Pone en la mesa los aspectos de la oración, y el porque es tan importante.
No me queda más que decir que R. C. Sproul nos trae estos temas de manera tan digerible y que uno disfruta enormemente.

[Cristian Moscoso · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a short but great book on prayer. I highly recommend it.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick book on prayer

Logically laid out, thoughtful. Nice recap at the end. Excellent discussion of the parts of the Lord's prayer. Wish I'd read it earlier.

[Rene · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a Must read book that can help to improve your praying not only about time but how you pray. Loved it

[Dennis Henn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short book on prayer, suffused with Scriptural references. Sproul considers The Lord's Prayer, the acrostic ACTS, impediments to prayer, and reasons we should pray. A fine pastoral resource.

[Toranoshi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excelente explicación de que es la oración y como llevarla a cabo.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing work - loved it!!

[Andrew Jaspers · Rating 2 out of 5]

I agreed with everything he said, but I felt like he only spent 25% of the book answering the title question. The rest was odds and ends about prayer.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

A useful primer on prayer. From the title, I expected more of a discussion about the relationship between God's sovereign, eternal decree and requests made in prayer. That is discussed to some extent, but the scope is broader than the title suggests; it also covers why and how to pray.

Notes
God commands us to pray, which is reason enough. But He also invites us make our requests known (Jam 4:2) and that the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous person avails much (Jam 5:16).

Calvin said God "ordained [prayer] not so much for his sake but for ours."

God's foreknowledge or determinate counsel doesn't negate prayer. If God knows what we're going to say, His knowledge enhances, rather than reduces, our prayers. Spouses like to hear each other say things that they already know, and that concept applies to praying to God.

Does prayer change God's mind? No. Does prayer change things? Of course. Bible says there are things God has decreed from eternity; those things will certainly come to pass, regardless of prayer.

Matthew 18:19 ("if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father") refers to church discipline, not to all requests of Christians.

When Bible says God "repents," it's using anthropomorphic language. It means God removed threat of judgment; He felt at ease. God's mind doesn't change, because God doesn't change.

Humans have freedom within limits. Within those limits, prayer can change things. Elijah's wasn't dissuaded from praying for rain by His understanding of God's sovereignty. Nor was Jesus dissuaded from praying that the cup pass from Him. We pray because of God's sovereignty; because we know He can order things according to His purpose.

What prayer most often changes is the wickedness and hardness of our own hearts.

Bible doesn't say all men are our brothers; it says all men are our neighbors. God is Father of all men in restricted sense that He's the Creator and Sustainer of all. Bible doesn't give all people right to approach God as Father; only those that have been adopted into His family (by expressing saving faith in Christ, and submitting to His lordship) (John 1:12; Rom 8:14-17).

If God has already forgiven us, why ask for forgiveness? Because He commands it (1 John 1:9).

"If we fill our minds with His Word, our inarticulate stammers will change to accomplished patterns of meaningful praise. By immersing ourselves in the Psalms, we will not only gain insight into the how of praise, but also enlarge our understanding of the One whom we are praising."

Nothing is too big or small to pray about, as long as it's not contrary to His will revealed in Biblie.

Partial list of accomplishments of prayer:
• Esau's heart was changed towards Jacob (Gen 32).
• God brought and removed plagues on Egypt (Ex 7-11).
• By prayer, Joshua made sun stand still (Josh 10).
• God brought water from hollow place for Samson (Jud 15).
• Samson's strength was restored (Jud 16).
• By prayer, Elijah held back rain for 3.5 years, then caused rain again (1 Kings 17-18)
• By prayer of Hezekiah, angel killed 185,000 enemies in one night (2 Kings 19).
• By prayer of Asa, God confounded army of Zerah (2 Chron 14)
• Abraham received son at age 100.
• Moses received help at Red Sea.
• Israelites were delivered from Egypt.
• David escaped treachery of spared from Saul.
• Solomon received great wisdom.
• Daniel was able to interpret dreams.
• People were delivered from peril, healed from diseases, saw loved ones healed, and saw miracles.

Prayer isn't magic. Bible gives simple pattern: ask and receive (Matt 7:7), but NT expands to say there must be reverence, obedience to God's will, communion with Christ, and accord with God's revealed will, nature, character (John 9:31; 14:13; 15:7; 1 John 3:22; 5:14).

Reasons we don't receive what we pray for:
• We ask with improper motives (Jam 4:3).
• God knows we'll misuse what we ask for.
• We request in ignorance things which would be disastrous (Ex 33:18).
• We pray for things we already have in Christ (John 4:10).

[Patrick S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm on my way to read any book on prayer I can get my hands on and I'm glad Sproul is in my early days of reading on the subject. Just under 100 pages (and free in Kindle form) this book covers some really good points. However, there is one miss that is a little bit glaring.

Sproul is best when he's his Sproul-ist. That is, when he's reminding you about the character of God, God's sovereignty, and to look away from what you think you know and to check Scripture as your ultimate authority. His best chapter of the book is discussing the purpose of prayer (Chapter 2). The title is chosen from this section and it covers a lot of key and overlooked parts. There is something you're going to find in most prayer books and that's a later discussion of the Lord's Prayer (Chapter 3). In this short-form book that makes a lot of sense. However, if you've read a book on prayer from a good exegetical speaker, then there isn't a lot of new ground here. For someone new, this is a good walk-through.

The most glaring issue with the book is that there isn't a deeper dive on the answer to the question to the title of the book. There are some introductory topics addressed that were great on if prayer changes things. And yet, finding that a central part of the book or really covered fully enough to name the book what it is doesn't quite meet the standard anyone would really have.

Is it a good book that covers the topic of prayer well in the short page length? Absolutely. If you were looking to answer the question on whether prayer changes things, however, you will be found wanting.

Final Grade - B

[Leya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

Loved this book.
The book is really refreshing in answering if prayer changes things. Got so many insights on prayer and when RC looks at the Lord's prayer, he brought out some aspects I had not thought about. This will definitely fall in my annual must read so that I constantly remind myself on the truths regarding prayer.

Some take away:
Prayer is unnatural to us

We fall in private before we ever fall in public

Prayer is not optional for the Christiana it is required

[Kate Frisch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm upset that I've only now read this book at 31 years of age. Sproul is eloquent without being "stuffy" or long winded. I LOVE this book. I don't think I understood prayer in such a deep way until I read this book. 2021 definitely found me more curious about prayer and how to pray. I've been praying using the ACTS model recently, which Sproul covers in this book. If you're a Christian or you're interested in Jesus or you're jaded by people who call themselves Christians, I highly recommend you read this book!

[Lydia Guetzko · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is hands down the best book I’ve ever read on prayer. It is the first book I will recommend on the subject to anyone. I think these books are genius. This one teaches you how to pray, shows what prayer has done throughout the Bible, and answers the question whether praying matters. I am fine if you guys judge me for including this in my reading goals since it is so short. I understand the judgement, but I stand by these books.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear, Concise and Christ-centered

I haven’t read too many books on prayer, but this book is my favorite because it is so intentionally clear and to-the-point. It has changed my perspective on prayer quite a bit. Thank you for helping me believe again that prayer really does change things :)

[Allison Anderson Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short book that is only meant to generally answer the question of the title, but Sproul gets the point across succinctly about the purpose, person, and power of prayer- also explains some of the promises Jesus made about prayer in a new light that really helped me realize why prayer isn't a waste of time, nor is it a magical genie in a bottle.

[si :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

“We have the matchless privilege of sharing our innermost thoughts with God. Of course, we could simply enter our prayer closets, let God read our minds, and call that prayer. But that’s not communion, and it’s certainly not a conversation.”

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't realize this book would be so short, but it was really good. It was surprisingly practical for a book by Dr. Sproul :) Recommended.

[Collin Coffee · Rating 5 out of 5]

For what it is, excellent. Great little primer on prayer.

[Lorenzo Fernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este pequeño libro es maravilloso me ayudo a conocer como orar, que elementos considerar y la razon de su presencia en la oracion.
Gracias Tio Sproul eres genial para los nuevos cristianos.