Prayer and Discerning God's Will in Christian Decision Making

Prayer is a fundamental aspect of Christian decision-making, serving as a means of communicating with God and discerning His will. According to Easton's Bible Dictionary, prayer is defined as "converse with God; the intercourse of the soul with God, not in contemplation or meditation, but in direct address to him" ^[1]. This definition underscores the interactive nature of prayer, where believers engage with God to seek guidance and wisdom.

The Bible encourages believers to pray for guidance and wisdom in decision-making. In Jeremiah 42:3, the prophet Jeremiah asks the people to "Pray that the LORD your God will tell us the way we should walk and the thing we should do" ^[4]. This passage illustrates the importance of seeking God's direction in times of uncertainty. Similarly, the apostle Paul prays for the Colossian believers, asking that they "may be filled with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding" (Colossians 1:9) ^[9].

In Christian tradition, prayer is seen as a means of aligning one's will with God's will. According to Calvin, believers should pray for knowledge of God's will and for the ability to understand and follow it ^[5]. This involves seeking God's guidance through prayer and Scripture, as well as being open to the leading of the Holy Spirit. As Keil & Delitzsch note on Psalms 25:4, "The will of God, it is true, lies before us in God's written word, but the expounder required for the right understanding of that word is God Himself" ^[8].

Different Christian traditions emphasize the importance of prayer in discerning God's will. For example, John Gill notes on Lamentations 3:36 that believers should "search and try our ways" rather than murmuring and complaining, and that this involves searching into the love of God and the covenant of grace ^[6]. Similarly, Matthew Henry comments on Colossians 1:9 that the apostle Paul prays for believers to be "filled with the knowledge of his will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding" ^[9].

The practice of prayer is also linked to the concept of decision-making in Christian thought. Torrey's Topical Textbook highlights the importance of seeking God's guidance in decision-making, citing passages such as Joshua 24:14-15 and 1 Kings 18:21 ^[2]. These passages emphasize the need for believers to make decisions that align with God's will, rather than following their own desires or inclinations.

In the New Testament, Jesus teaches his followers to pray for guidance and wisdom. In Matthew 7:7, Jesus says, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you" ^[7]. This passage emphasizes the importance of persistence and trust in prayer, as well as the need to seek God's guidance in all aspects of life.

The relationship between prayer and decision-making is also reflected in the writings of the apostle Paul. In Colossians 4:3, Paul asks the Colossian believers to pray for him, that "God may open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ" ^[3]. This passage illustrates the importance of prayer in seeking God's guidance and direction, even in the face of uncertainty and challenge.

Sources

Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Prayer — Is converse with God; the intercourse of the soul with God, not in contemplation or meditation, but in direct address to him. Prayer may be oral or mental, occasional or constant, ejaculatory or formal. It is a "beseeching the Lord" (Ex. 32:11); "pouring out the soul before the Lord" (1 Sam. 1:15); "praying and crying to heaven" (2 Chr. 32:20); "seeking unto God and making supplication" (Job 8:5); "drawing near to God" (Ps. 73:28); "bowing the knees" (Eph. 3:14). Prayer presupposes a belief in the personality of God, his ability and willingness to hold inter”
Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Decision — Necessary to the service of God -- Lu 9:62. Exhortations to -- Jos 24:14,15. Exhibited in Seeking God with the heart. -- 2Ch 15:12. Keeping the commandments of God. -- Ne 10:29. Being on the Lord's side. -- Ex 32:26. Following God fully. -- Nu 14:24; 32:12; Jos 14:8. Serving God. -- Isa 56:6. Loving God perfectly. -- De 6:5. Blessedness of. -- Jos 1:7. Opposed to A divided service. -- Mt 6:24. Double-mindedness. -- Jas 1:8. Halting between two opinions. -- 1Ki 18:21. Turning to the right or left. -- De 5:32. Not setting the heart aright. -- Ps 78:8,37. Exe”
Colossians “praying together for us also, that God may open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds; -- Colossians 4:3”
Jeremiah “Jeremiah 42:3 (BSB) — Pray that the LORD your God will tell us the way we should walk and the thing we should do.””
CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Philippians, Colossians, 1-2 Thessalonians, section 84.1: Index of Scripture References Genesis 1 1:26 3:22 9:6 9:6 9:6 14:13 Exodus 7:11 14:13 14:31 32:32 Leviticus 19:14 Deuteronomy 7:7-8 10:17 13:3 1 Kings 19:18 Job 4:18 Psalms 7:8 35:19 37:5 55:22 55:22 69:28 73:1-12 122:6 128:2 137:6 138:8 138:8 145:18 Proverbs 3:5 5:15 8:36 10:4 Ecclesiastes 9:3 Isaiah 11:4 26:9 30:15 30:21 33:22 42:1 45:23 48:11 50:5 53:1 55:11 55:13 60:2 60:2 60:2 64:8 Jeremiah 5:8 17:9 23:29 31:33 Ezekiel 11:20 Daniel 12:2 Hosea 1:10-11 Amos 9:36 Zechariah 14:8 Malachi 4:2 Matthew 5:11 5:14 5:15 ”
Lamentations (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Lamentations 3:36: Let us search and try our ways,.... stead of murmuring and complaining, let us search for something that may support and comfort, teach and instruct, under afflictive providences; let us search into the love of God, which, though it cannot be fully searched out, it will be found to be from everlasting to everlasting; and that all afflictions spring from it; and that it continues notwithstanding them: let us search into the covenant of grace, in which provision is made for afflictions in case of disobedience, and for supports under them: let us search the Scriptu”
Matthew (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Matthew 7:7: Ask and it shall be given you,.... This is to be understood of asking of God in prayer, for such things as are wanting; whether of a temporal nature, as food and raiment, which Christ, in the former chapter, had warned against an immoderate and anxious concern for; or of a spiritual nature, as grace, and wisdom to behave in a proper manner, both towards God and men: and such, who ask according to the will of God, in the name of Christ, and under the direction, guidance, and influence of the Spirit, who ask in faith and fear, and with submission to the divine will, sha”
Psalms (Lutheran) “Keil & Delitzsch on Psalms 25:4: Recognising the infamy of such black ingratitude, he prays for instruction as to the ways which he must take according to the precepts of God (Psa 18:22). The will of God, it is true, lies before us in God's written word, but the expounder required for the right understanding of that word is God Himself. He prays Him for knowledge; but in order to make what he knows a perfect and living reality, he still further needs the grace of God, viz., both His enlightening and also His guiding grace.”
Colossians (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Colossians 1:9: The apostle proceeds in these verses to pray for them. He heard that they were good, and he prayed that they might be better. He was constant in this prayer: We do not cease to pray for you. It may be he could hear of them but seldom, but he constantly prayed for them. - And desire that you may be filled with the knowledge, etc. Observe what it is that he begs of God for them, I. That they might be knowing intelligent Christians: filled with the knowledge of his will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. Observe, 1. The knowledge of our duty is the best k”

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