The aspect that God is completely sovereign is evident. This means that God Almighty dictates all things on Earth and in Heaven. Nothing goes ungoverned past God. In other words, God will have his way. And nothing we do will deter Him from that. This is one teaching of Calvinist doctrine. Sounds good so far.
According to John Piper, “prayer causes things to happen that wouldn’t happen if you didn’t pray.” Supporting Scripture would be James 4: 2, “You do not have, because you do not have” [ESV]. Does this contradict God’s sovereignty? In a way, are we able to move God’s will to fit our own prayers?
Starting with biblical instruction, we keep in mind that the Bible is completely true, it is the absolute Word of God, and God-breathed. So where do I find the balance between Calvinism doctrines so that it fits and matches the Bible? The answer is this: to have a core of Truth so that whenever you come across Christian doctrines, you will stand firm on what the Lord commands. And the core should be this: God is infinitely passionate for His glory, and EVERYTHING is done primarily for His glory, including the sending of Jesus Christ to die for our sins.
So the problem lies with us. John 16 says, “I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.” And insert God’s passion for His glory. Are our prayers God-honoring? Do we have in mind God’s best interest instead of our best interest? Unless we have the same desire as God in making His name glorious, our prayers are meaningless.
Colossians 3:2 “Set your minds on things above (God’s will), not on earthly things” [NIV, emphasis mine]
