Does God Need Our Prayers?

If God is omniscient. Why do we need to make our requests known to him in prayer. That is one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity will hi there, and happy Friday.

This is Bill Meyer along with Pastor Israel Sanchez you're listening to the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day. You can call us right now with your question. At 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673 by the way, you can watch us on YouTube right now the pastor Israel in the studio as he answers questions, you can go to YouTube and also you can send us a message. That way, and you can always email us your question at questions at core, Christianity.com first step today we heard from one of our international listeners.

Her name is Hari and let's hear what she has to say no way for country and country do need to take side away from politics and appraisal on both sides. Thank you.

Well, prayer is always a good thing, especially in conflicts like this.

I don't know that that we need to say that Christians need to do something in particular in a in a situation like that and I also don't know that it's necessarily always wrong to participate in some like them. It is a very complex, very complex question, of course, you think about Jesus's interaction with with soldiers centurions in the New Testament.

It didn't seem like he called them to renounce their their roles, their jobs, and so in that sense I think you know that there's other Christians being in the military that kind of a thing you know we we live in the society is referred to as the two kingdoms you give this a civil government institution which is legitimate institution in the world today think of places like Romans chapter 13 and yet we are also citizens first and foremost of the kingdom of heaven. You know, Paul talks about this in the book of Philippians and so we have this complex relationship to these two kingdoms if you will and are there instances are there times where were Christians might engage in in warfare in in that sense you know is is a part of that the civil kingdom.

Well, well yes, but there's a very complex question question Hardy and I would say it really something needs to be examined depending on when we what is it that's that's taking place and and what is it the people exit fighting for. And so, so I can give you more than that I think is we we need more information so appreciate your question and I think you forgiven us that call. This is core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez. If you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life.

Our phone lines will be open for the next 20 minutes or so, so hop on phone give us a call. Here's the number it's 833 the core that's 1-833-843-2673.

Here's a voicemail received from one of our listeners in Austin, Texas named Stacy struggled for years with infertility and she didn't get pregnant until I quit praying about it now.

My neck is about 10 years older great health and very nice for them but I was wondering for something the universe need our prayers and if God is going to do what he wants to. Anyway, why bother thank you. It's well you know I think some people have a very gentle there too, but I think error so we can have when we we think about prayer. One is, is this idea that was bending God's will through our prayers that it's our prayers that are changing God's mind this is that's it. That's an issue because you believe God is omniscient that he knows all things that everything happens according to the counsel of his will and yet nothing embracing those uses that the opposite dangers we have the sort of fatalistic view of prayer that prayer just doesn't matter. Whatever you you know guys and do whatever he wants of them, we probably shouldn't prayer.

When pray when in reality throughout the New Testament throughout the Bible we have detected exhortations to pray and to pray for persistently that is not to give up and I think one thing it does is really interesting, CS Lewis talks about this in his book the Screwtape letters is is it what one of the devils tactics is to attack us with the sort of you know heads I win, tails you lose argument with regard to prayer, so you were praying for something and were were seeking the Lord about it and it seems like God is an answer and so we think you see that you know petitioning God with our precious doesn't matter, or if God does answer that prayer. If something does happen. What what what oftentimes the devil will do is will point out some sort of natural thing that may be led to this thing occurring this thing happening in an and then off again concluding like is my prayer didn't matter. We have to realize that God answers our prayers in his own way and in his own timing and he is ordained that the way in which he is going to accomplish his sovereign rule and work in the world today. Stacy is through the prayers of his people and so those prayers that that you prayed for your sister for many years God answered those prayers. It sounds like, and you should give him thanks for answering those prayers now. Now having been answered. 10 years ago.

I'm give thanks to the Lord for that note.

Maybe he didn't answer them in the timing that you were expecting or hoping that he would answer them. But the Lord nevertheless did answer your prayers and so we ought to give thanks to the Lord for for those those occasions where where it's very clear that he does answer the prayer and then and then when we don't have the answer right away that we want or where he doesn't say yes to whatever it is that were requesting what we humbly say Lord you know you know best what we need as your children and we trust in him and so we have to avoid those two pitfalls that with prayer thinking that were changing God's mind and then thinking that prayer does not matter know we realize that our prayers do matter because because God uses them to accomplish his purposes. His sovereign purposes in the world today and of course God's timing may be mysterious to us and that something we have to grapple with a federal I know several friends of mine who keep prayer journals and it's amazing when they go back and they said I was praying for this and maybe it didn't occur right away, but at some point. Oftentimes God did answer their prayers and it's it can be just so comforting to go back and read those things that were praying for it because sometimes we forget that we forget. I was honestly praying for this never happened. And then maybe it did at some later point. It's like wow that that was my prayer absolutely.

I think that such a great practice for Christians to have bill because it is such a it's a faith builder when you're able to look back at the prayers that you are praying 10 years ago five years ago and see allow you to look at look at how God has been at work in this situation are in that situation so I think it's that's it's really a good thing to do. This is core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez you know it when it comes to prayer.

We should be praying for our parents if they are still alive and we actually have a wonderful book that focuses on that. It's Chelsea Stanley's book.

Five things to pray for your parents would like to make that available to you yeah I you know I don't know what your relationship what with your parents is is like but I do know that God calls all of us to pray for each other and and to pray for parents. It is something that we don't often think about Chelsea Stanley's book. Five things to pray for your parents will give you just some really beautiful and practical things that you can be praying for your your parents for your family. So get a hold of this resource. You can go to our website and find that it core, Christianity.com/offers look for five things to pray for your parents again. Core, Christianity.com/offers for Chelsea Stanley's book. You can also call us for that resource or any one of our resources at 833 the core that's a 33 843-2673 go to Barney in Stillwater, Oklahoma morning what your question for pastor atrial 39 years. One is use it. What they always say I know the Bible is no agreement can we pluck ourselves as we have a free will yeah you know there are so many different views on this. And of course are some people think well there are sins that you can commit that will remove you from the father's hand, if you want in there and say well there's nothing you can do no sin that you can do that will cause you to lose your salvation, but if you choose to walk away from the Lord then then you will be lost. Now course, we do have in in the Bible, the sort of category of apostasy. Barney and that refers to someone who really knows the faith who maybe has had an experience of the things of the Lord. And yet, despite knowing the truth, they turn away from it. This is how Peter describes the false teachers. For example, in second Peter chapters 2 and following a that they had a knowledge of the truth they had received this holy commandment that God had given to them and then they did not eat Christ and turned away from him and then that's a reality there are people who do that and I would say they were never saved to begin with. I think that an individual can have a deep understanding of the things of the Lord in one sense know about Christ and Christianity and maybe live in the church and and maybe live along the long portion of their life in the church of their whole life in the church. And yet, despite that still you know they have not laid hold of the hope of the gospel for themselves. Maybe they've they should address themselves up a little bit with religion but they haven't laid hold of Christ for them so they don't have this vital relationship with Jesus. I don't think that someone who is truly born again regenerated by the Holy Spirit can sin away their salvation, or would walk away from the faith in a way that would would meatloaf forever compromise their eternal state that kind of thing do we struggle as believers. Yes.

Can there be periods of grievous sin that that has consequences. Yes, and even a sense of the loss of God's presence and the joy of the Holy Spirit know that quenching of the Holy Spirit. Yes, I think that we can experience that as true Christians. And yet, that the ember of faith if you will, is always there in God continues to work in us and to draw us closer to himself to sanctify us so that we persevere in faith and are preserved ultimately by the grace of God and of course the passage that you were alluding to, or referring to was one from John chapter 10, where Jesus says my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. My father, who is given them to me, is greater than all and no one is able to snatch them out of the father's hand eye and the father are one. And isn't that such a comfort to know that if you believe in Jesus. If you trusted in him you belong to him that you are resting secure in the hands of Almighty God that no one can snatch you out of those hands you hear the voice of the chief Shepherd, Jesus himself would follow him.

And so it Barney thank you for for that question. May the Lord bless you and keep you. That is such a comforting verse Israel, and I think so many of our listeners do often asked that question and just to keep going back to God's word in Jesus's word to us that we don't have to fear that that we no one can snatch us out of his hand. We are eternally his. Once we trust in him that is such a awesome comfort. This is core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez. By the way, if you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life.

We have about 10 more minutes left. You can get author on the phone right now and talk to pastor atrial live. Here is the number it's 833-843-2673 was spelled out in your phone that's 833 the core so give us a call right now for the next 10 minutes or so, let's go to Laverne and St. Louis Missouri. Laverne what your question for pastor atrial like what statement what my daughter was three years old.

My ex-husband said that I love.

Let me go more than I love Jesus Christ and I filled out on my knees and asked God to save much time and he did save my child, but it took me 30 years to get to expose them to ask out if you really believe that you know that you know he stated that you know to try to repent light, but he was so angry and mean and hateful to me.

He never he never did that and now so we have a granddaughter with my daughter never wanted children but she had a granddaughter. I have a granddaughter now and she is bringing that I think that he is bringing that and because he lives in Mexico. He's a nurse down there now and he drove, glad of that. There she was so proud of that book. She never addressing what the issue is that I've been doing all these years asked him and he would just walk away or hang up on me like that.

So what I'm after. Now is that how do I get, you know, I know God save my child and she feared the Lord in everything but with him I don't want him to bring anything on my grandchild, Laverne, you, your concern is one that many of us have his parents and then also us as grandparents you know we want to see our children and our grandchildren know Jesus and walk with Jesus and that the fear is in no outside influences and even outside influences from from people who are close to us even family members and and in this situation it would be you know her grandfather and I like that you said you know, I know the Lord saved my child because it it really is a work of the Holy Spirit is in it as I was saying the same way that you would get on your knees and pray for for your child. Pray for you, for your grandchildren as well and entrusts them to the Lord. It is a it is a sad thing, a tragic thing when when we say I think a lot of people just don't understand how important this is. You know, because I think for for many people they think will gush my children of the most important thing in the world. I don't see how I can love God more than my children and you think of what Jesus said in the Gospel of Matthew in Matthew chapter 10 verse 37 a very strong words. Listen. Listen to this. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it now course, I don't believe that what Jesus is teaching here is that we should just mistreat or neglect our children, our spouse, our parents that kind of thing actually nice I look our relationship with God, our love for God should be such that it causes everything else in real the love in our life. The pale in comparison. And, in fact, when we love Jesus faithfully, we actually love each other better, including our children, and a lot of people don't understand that.

And so they put their children before God and and as a result, I think neglect their children in a way that that they shouldn't have in terms of not introducing them to the Lord and the things of the Lord. But the hope that you that you have is not anything except for the work of God in in the life of your grandchildren and pray.

Continue to pray for your ex-husband that the Lord would soften his heart to see the fact that we need to love God more than anything else in this world that God calls us to. And that we can because he sent his son to lay down his life for us so that we might follow him, but may the Lord bless you and and you know what I wanted. Right now Laverne is just pray for you and also for your grandchild that the that the Lord would be at work in her and so gracious father, thank you for my sister Laverne. Thank you Lord for the life of faith that she's lived for for calling her to yourself that she's able to see just the priority of faith the priority of a relationship with you and I pray for her for her family and and in particular look for her grandchildren. You would be working in their lives. God, that you would do a mighty work drawing them to yourself, even from a very young age, causing them to understand your great love for them in the gospel of your son Jesus and would you be with her ex-husband as well. Softening his heart and in being with him, and an opening his eyes to see his need as well and so we thank you Lord. We look to you with hope in Jesus name, amen.

I meant God wants us to pray for our family members. Whether that's our kids or grandkids. Even our parents and we actually have a wonderful book on that topic which would love to make available to you mention this earlier in the program. It's called five things to pray for your parents by author Chelsea Stanley if you go to our website@corechristianity.com/offers.

You can learn more about that. Let's go to Kim calling in from Marshall Texas Kim what your question for pastor. Israel your email. Thank you so much for what you do.

My question is this. I want to get an idea how you feel about something regarding prescriptions and medication regarding mental health.

I've seen a lot of argument about people saying that we should be relying solely on God for healing and in an area not on pharmaceuticals or medical treatment and I actually just think that we have finite mind and we should not limit God in any way on how he chooses to heal people. Whether it's through pharmaceuticals since he created all the ingredients anyway or the wisdom that he could give doctors what is your take on that. What had he feel about that. Tim will I think we have to realize that that the mind is a part of the body and our bodies can break down and because of the fall. You know that the fall is affected every part of our bodies including our minds and that's what we have issues like mental health issues that it is in the same way that you know if I fell down and broke my leg and I just said well you know I need to rely on the Lord for this and I can go to the doctor not to get a cast on that kind of a thing. Now people would say hey you know that that's great that you're praying for healing for your leg what you probably should go to a doctor because they you need a cast that kind of thing.

What I think it's important that we realize that mental health mental health issues are significant real issues that the you know the answer is, and always just what you need to pray more and read your Bible, and I think too often in the church people have heard that people who are really wrestling with serious mental health issues have been have been told what you need to do more prayer you need to read the Bible more than that kind of a thing though things are unimportant, but I do believe that it's important that we also involve medical professionals and doctors and I and Bill. I know that you're one of those professionals so I mean I love to hear your your insight on this as well. I just love what Kim said that God reveals himself when we talk about this a lot of this program. God reveals himself through his words in Scripture and also he reveals himself in nature and as Kim pointed out so well that could be in the medications that you know the ingredients of those medications, the wisdom of the doctors and we certainly wouldn't tell diabetic don't take insulin just, you know, pray about it and read the Bible more and God will heal you because that person will likely die and so yes the Kim I think you're right on target and I do believe God can use metal mental health professionals, and medication to help people with things like depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, you bet.

So if you hear pastor saying that's not of God.

I would strongly disagree yeah and I would too if you really gets at what we sometimes referred to as the doctrine of common grace Kim that that God can work in and through these things we do this just because doctors in or the scientist aren't necessarily Christians that kind of thing doesn't mean that we have to ridge or reject what it is that they're saying now, does that mean that we don't also have to be discerning know we do have to be discerning but but there are many I think blessings that we've been able to part our take of as Christians is because of you know God's common grace in the world today in the advancements and in science and the understanding the mind and so on and so forth and so so II think we we have to really take mental health and mental illness seriously and a part of that is being able to to listen to what what many of the experts are are saying and ebbing okay with with the sum of the prescription that are that are given, you know, and so appreciate your question and may the Lord bless you your listing to core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez's we received this email from one of our listeners named Rudy he says in first Corinthians 6. Three. What does Paul mean when he says, do you not know that we will judge angels is he talking about us and how are angels going to be judged is in the context there a first Corinthians chapter 6 really the Corinthians were being rebuked by the apostle Paul because they were failing in their relationships with each other within the church. They were suing one another.

Paul says in, and so he uses this as a sort of something to point out is a look working to judge angels on the last day at the at the final judgment know what that's gonna look like were not given a lot of information there isn't. There is a lot in Scripture to to you to highlight what that's gonna look like what that judgment is an look like, but we are to be given this great responsibility as the people of God to participate in the judgment of angels and so that's that's something that we know is true, I think, again, the focus there in first grade.

This chapter 6 is because that's the case we need to be able to get along with one another within the church.

That's the big practical take away here is in a rather than fighting with one another, taking each other to court, suing one another, accepting wrongful says there in first grade. In chapter 6.

Forgive one another and encourage one another in the Lord, because God has blessed us.

He's given us these great privileges, many of which were going to be able to see there on the last day in heaven. Thanks for listening to core Christianity request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us at core, Christianity.com and click on offers in the menu or call us at 1-833-843-2673. That's 833 when you contact us. Please let us know how you been encouraged by this program and be sure to join us next time. As we explore the truth of God's word together