God's Mind Cannot Be Changed Through Prayer

Do we affect the mind of God through our prayers? Does God change His mind because of our prayers? Does praying bring about a change in God's plans?

This week on the Straight Truth Podcast, Dr. Richard Caldwell and host, Dr. Josh Philpot discuss the often misunderstood topic of prayers changing God's mind and that of God Himself, changing His mind. Throughout the Old Testament, there are instances where it seems or appears that God had a change of mind. A specific incident can be found in the book of Jonah, which often stirs up questions like these. Dr. Caldwell says the simple answer is no. Prayer doesn't change God, it doesn't change His mind, and it doesn't convince God to do anything, but prayer does change things.

In the Scriptures, God has revealed Himself as omniscient. This means that there is nothing He needs to learn and nothing that He doesn't already know; God knows everything. He is sovereign over everything and has determined all things. There is nothing that is ever going to take place in this world that doesn't fit within God's plan. Our prayers do not change God's mind as if He has learned something new as we are going along. Nor do our prayers influence Him in something that He would not otherwise want to do. That is not the function of prayer. Every text that might seem to speak that way or teach this is not as it seems. God often speaks to us in His Word in ways, in our limitedness, that we're able to understand. This is often called anthropomorphic language, God communicating to us in a way we can make sense of it. So, in reality, we do not change the mind of God.

Dr. Caldwell shares 1 Samuel 15:29 which says, "He who is the Glory of Israel does