If God has a plan…why do we pray?
Today, of all places, God got my attention at Sonic.
I saw a simple sign that said “Free Will.”
And immediately my mind went somewhere completely different.
Free will.
Two little words we hear all the time in church. We say that God gave us free will—the ability to choose Him, to follow Him, to obey Him… or not.
But then another question came to my mind.
If God already knows what is going to happen, and if His will is ultimately going to be accomplished, why do we pray?
Why do we pray for healing?
Why do we pray for our children?
Why do we ask God to open one door and close another?
Why do we pray desperately for circumstances to change if God already knows how the story ends?
I think sometimes we misunderstand prayer because we think its main purpose is to convince God to do what we’re asking Him to do.
But prayer is so much more than that.
God Didn’t Create Puppets
From the beginning, God gave mankind the ability to choose.
Joshua told the Israelites:
“Choose you this day whom ye will serve.” — Joshua 24:15
Love that is forced isn’t really love.
God desires relationship with us. He invites us to walk with Him, trust Him, obey Him and seek Him.
And sometimes we choose beautifully.
Sometimes… goodness gracious, we choose the hard way. 😂
But even when we wander, God continues calling us back to Himself.
So Why Pray If God Already Knows?
Because prayer isn’t about informing God of something He doesn’t know.
He already knows.
Jesus said our Father knows what we need before we even ask Him. (Matthew 6:8)
Prayer is communion with God.
It’s where we bring Him our fear.
Our hopes.
Our children.
Our marriages.
Our sickness.
Our uncertainty.
Our dreams.
Our broken hearts.
And somewhere in that conversation, something happens.
Sometimes God changes the circumstance.
Sometimes He changes the direction.
Sometimes He opens the door we have been begging Him to open.
Sometimes He closes it.
And sometimes, while we are waiting for everything around us to change, He changes us.
Prayer draws our hearts closer to His.
Jesus Prayed This Way Too
One of the most beautiful examples is Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Jesus knew what was coming.
He knew the cross was ahead.
And still He prayed:
“O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” — Matthew 26:39
That prayer has always touched me.
Jesus brought His anguish honestly before the Father.
He asked.
And then He surrendered.
Not my will, but Yours.
Maybe that’s one of the greatest lessons prayer can teach us.
We are allowed to ask.
We are allowed to cry.
We are allowed to pray boldly for healing, restoration, provision, protection and miracles.
Faith isn’t pretending we don’t desperately want something.
Faith is bringing what we desperately want before God and trusting Him enough to say:
“Lord, this is what I’m asking for…but I trust You with what happens next.”
Free Will Doesn’t Mean Walking Alone
Maybe that’s the part I kept thinking about today.
God gave us free will, but He never intended for us to navigate life without Him.
We make choices.
We take steps.
We make mistakes.
We change direction.
But all along the way, He invites us to walk beside Him.
“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” — Proverbs 3:5–6
Notice it doesn’t say we’ll understand every path.
It says He will direct it.
There is such comfort in that.
I don’t have to know everything God knows.
I don’t have to understand why every prayer is answered differently than I expected.
I don’t have to see ten miles down the road.
I just need enough faith for the next step.
And Maybe That’s the Mercy in It
Today, a little sign at Sonic reminded me that God is sovereign…and yet He still wants me to talk to Him.
He knows tomorrow…and still asks me to trust Him today.
He knows every decision I’ll face…and still gives me the choice to reach for His hand.
What an incredible kind of love.
So if you’ve been praying about something and wondering whether your prayers even matter…
Keep praying.
Not because God needs convincing.
Because He wants you.
Your heart.
Your trust.
Your conversation.
Your dependence on Him.
Ask boldly.
Listen closely.
Walk with Him.
And when you can’t understand what He’s doing, you can still pray the prayer Jesus taught us by His example:
“Not my will, but Yours.”
Because the safest place for our free will will always be surrendered to the One who already knows the way.
Encouraging hearts… one morning mercy at a time.
Morning Mercies Studio