Can our prayers cause God to change his mind? (Exodus 32:14)

God does not change, but he will adjust his decrees to fit our response. The Bible contains many examples of this — the Hebrews on the outskirts of Canaan (Num. 14:11-23); Hezekiah's repentance on behalf of Israel (2 Chron. 29:3-10, 36); the sparing of Nineveh (Jonah 3:1-10).

God's will is dynamic. As with any interpersonal relationship, God's relationship with humanity involves give and take. God accommodates his responses to ours; we adjust our responses to God's. So it can be said on this level, God sometimes changes his mind in response to our prayers.

At the same time, God's will is determined. There are decrees and promises he has made that do not change. He kept his covenant with the Israelites (Deut. 7:7-8) and keeps his new covenant with us (John 6:37-40, 44).

God wants us to follow his will obediently. He has predetermined ways he would like us to respond, but we have the choice to do them or not (Psalm 143:10; Heb. 10:35-39; 1 Thes. 5:18-18; 2 Peter 3:9).

These three aspects of God's will work together. It is not possible for us to understand how, but God is ultimately in control. We might compare the relationship between God, his will and his people to a chess match between a novice player and a master. The novice can make any move he chooses and the master will respond accordingly. But the master will always be in control of the game. The analogy is limited and cannot be pressed further: God's people "win" when the Master's will is done.

Quest Study Bible, page 121.
Copyright © Zondervan. Used by permission.

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