Thank you for your excellent questions. We need to keep in mind that God cannot lie. We read in Titus 1:2, “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.” We also need to remember that the Bible is God’s Word. We read in 2 Timothy 3:16, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” Therefore, we can trust God that everything in His Word is true and reliable.

An important principle in the Scriptures is that God is sovereign. This means that He has supreme power and authority over everything. We read in 1 Timothy 6:14-15, “that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He will bring about at the proper time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords” (NASB). We read in Ephesians 1:11, “also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will” (NASB).

Another important principle in the Scriptures is that mankind has free will to do things. We read in John 3:15, “That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” We also read in Revelation 22:17, “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”

These two principles unite in one verse. We read in John 6:37, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” The first part of the verse describes God’s sovereignty, and the second part of the verse describes mankind’s free will.

In our finite minds God’s sovereignty and mankind’s freedom to make choices cannot coexist. However, both principles are found in God’s Word and so both are true. The Lord explains to us in Isaiah 55:9, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” We can trust God that He knows how to perfectly join together two principles that appear to contradict each other.

It is also important to remember that “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation” (2 Peter 1:20). In other words, we should study the entire Word of God to understand His thoughts instead of only focusing on certain verses. Many people focus on verses about God’s sovereignty and claim that mankind has no free will. In contrast, other people focus on verses about mankind’s free will and reject God’s sovereignty. We must embrace ALL of the Scriptures in order to understand God’s thoughts.

Now that we have this foundation from God’s Word, let us address your questions. You asked, “Can a believer’s prayer change the will of God?” Ephesians 1:11 (quoted above) makes me think that the answer would be “No,” but we are also instructed in James 5:16 to “Confess therefore your offenses to one another, and pray for one another, that ye may be healed. [The] fervent supplication of the righteous [man] has MUCH POWER”(JND). In comparing those two verses, God’s purposes will be accomplished, but our prayers DO make a difference. This does not answer your question with a “yes” or “no” response, but I believe that it is the Scriptural way to answer it. We can trust God that He is able to join together His perfect will with the effectiveness of our sincere prayers.

Your second question was “If not, why does God want us to be prayerful when everything goes according to His will every time?” He wants us to be prayerful because He wants us to recognize our dependence on Him and He wants to have a close relationship with us. Whether we realize it or not, each of us are dependent upon Him for every breath that we take. Daniel told King Belteshazzar in Daniel 5:23 that, “THE GOD IN WHOSE HAND THY BREATH IS, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified.” He yearns for closeness with us more than we want it with Him. The Lord Jesus loved us so much that He died for us! His message to believers is that “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5). He also wants us to be prayerful because our prayers are powerful, as we saw above from James 5:16.

Your third question was “Also, is choosing not to pray often because we believe everything will go according to God’s will sinful?” Yes, it is sinful because God tells us to “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:16). This does not mean that we must pray 24 hours a day without stopping. It means that we are not to give up on prayer. We are not to throw up our hands and cease to speak to the One who loved us and gave Himself for us. We read in James 4:17, “Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin” (NASB).

In summary, keep on praying! Your prayers are powerful! God loves to bless us and will answer our prayers according to His will.  (DJ)  (645.5)