The movie Shadowlands is the story of C. S. Lewis and his wife Joy.
At one point in the film, after finding out Joy’s cancer has gone into remission, one of Lewis’ friends says to him, “I know how hard you have been praying, and now God is answering your prayer.”
Lewis, brilliantly played by Anthony Hopkins, replies, “That’s not why I pray, Harry.
“I pray because I can’t help myself.
“I pray because I’m helpless.
“I pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping.
“It doesn’t change God.
“It changes me.”
Lewis is speaking of petitionary prayer, which requests something from God.
He points out that we don’t pray to change God’s mind.
God doesn’t grant prayer because we pray or because of how hard we pray; such a God would be either arbitrary or cruel.
Why would God grant one person’s heartfelt prayer and not another’s?
Some might answer that question by pointing to God’s omniscience.
God knows something we don’t know, or God sees a bigger picture.
But I don’t find that answer satisfactory; in my experience in ministry and friendship, it is not comforting to those who suffer or who feel their prayer has not been answered.
God does not wave a magic wand and make everything turn out alright.
The person who has cancer still dies. The car accident cannot be undone. The person who breaks your heart doesn’t come back.
Prayer is about participating in the relationship God offers us. Continue reading
Image: Loyola University
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