Underestimating the biblical God.

Our view of prayer usually reflects our view of God and our relationship to him. The God with whom Chet Raymo begins is one who can be manipulated by magical incantation. Saying certain words and performing certain actions are thought to control or at least influence the Ruler of the Universe. The author discovered, however, that God is not influenced by magic formulas, nor pleased with the mindless repetition of words. He came to recognize God at the heart of the evolutionary process of the universe, holding all things together in a profound, mysterious, and dynamic movement that has finally given birth to the created conscious intelligence of human beings. This is God beyond magic and the simple recitation of formulas. Prayer to this God is marked by praise and thanksgiving, arising from wonder at the majesty of the universe and the sweep of the creative process.

What led Raymo to this development was acquaintance with the methods and conclusions of science. But he could have found it in the Bible. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus cautions: "When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words" (Matt. 6:7); and Sirach advises: "Do not babble in the assembly of the elders, and do not repeat yourself when you pray" (Sir. 7:14).

However, Raymo's God raises further questions. Does this God simply occupy a general supervisory position in the world, or does his care reach the vast array of individual beings, both in their distinctness and in their relations to one another? In one place Raymo says that God "sweeps us along on the grand wings of his abiding plan.... "Here Raymo seems to opt for God as the general supervisor. But elsewhere Raymo favorably cites the poet Mary Oliver who speaks of "the light at the center of every cell." This accords better with a God whose knowledge, wisdom, and concern bring every detail of our unfolding universe into clear focus. It is also the biblical view of God. Jesus tells his apostles as he is about to send them out on mission: "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs on your head are all counted" (Matt. 10:29-30).

At this point we need to do two things: (1) pursue this insight into a God who overlooks nothing, and (2) ask about the relevance of experimental evidence in resolving the question of petitionary prayer.

In view of this understanding of God, we should recognize that God's attitude toward things takes into account the differences among them. As Jesus said immediately after the words quoted above: "So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows" (Matt. 10:31). God regards not just the physical size of things but also their degree of complexity. As a result, conscious intelligent beings occupy a uniquely important position among them, as the most complex beings in the universe. Is there then any sense in which God relates to these complex beings and interacts with them personally? If God does indeed deal with the universe so that there is "light at the center of every cell," it is not unreasonable to suppose that such interaction takes place.

The Bible as it treats petitionary prayer, while rejecting magic, everywhere supposes that there is a personal relationship between God and the one who prays. For example, also in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches: "Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake? If you, then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him" (Matt. 7:9-11).

True petitionary prayer, Raymo rightly notes, is neither a magical incantation, nor the rote repetition of a formula, nor telling God something he doesn't know, nor an attempt to persuade him to do something he doesn't want to do. It is an expression of personal trust and dependence. It always aims first at deepening this personal relationship, and secondarily at obtaining a concrete request. As in personal relationships between human beings, it is the relationship that really counts, not the gifts or favors that are asked and given. Such things must always be seen within the context of the personal relationship. Hence, petitionary prayer always has certain conditions expressed or implied: if what I ask will not hinder my love and service of you and my fellow human beings, if something else will not better achieve what your love and wisdom intend.

That is why prayer is always answered: the personal relationship is always deepened and strengthened, and the gift is given if indeed it will promote this relationship. We shouldn't conclude that, since God will always do what is best for us, it makes no difference whether we ask him or not. God will indeed do what is best for us, if we are willing for him to do it. God seeks first of all to deepen his personal relationship with us; and our prayers of petition are expressions of our willingness for him to do this. Ideally, children ask from their parents with trust and confidence for what they will truly need to live and grow toward the truth. In a similar fashion, God responds to prayer with gifts of forgiveness, encouragement, and also material benefits, as he sees these are truly helpful.

This does not suppose that every answer to petitionary prayer is a miraculous occurrence. The world and all that happens in it are in God's hands. Modern science has taught us that the world is not ruled by rigid determinism. God can reply to our prayers without going beyond the limits of physical possibility, even if the reply may be highly improbable. Operating within each thing and inclining it accordingly to his purpose, God can, without interrupting the network of causal activity that holds the world together, bring about what he wants. This is similar to the way in which the mind influences the body without suspending the ordinary laws of physics and chemistry.

What about experimental verification of the power of petitionary prayer? Valid experiments require control of all the relevant factors. And it seems that, for the most part at least, this is not possible with regard to petitionary prayer. In the New Testament, James observes: "You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures" (James 4:3). If our words in prayer spring from this kind of selfish concern, or if they reveal a desire to control God rather than to grow in his friendship and service, then they will not be answered. But how can a pollster determine this? And even if we truly pray well, how can we know that what we ask for is in our best interest and the best interest of all concerned? This means that experiments can neither confirm nor disprove the power of petitionary prayer.

Petitionary prayer is only one element in a total situation of trust and confidence in God, just as asking and receiving are parts of a total family situation. But in neither case does this activity constitute the whole situation. We ask in trust and confidence, and, in the same spirit, we trust that God hears and answers us. It is the atmosphere generated by this kind of prayer that enables us to relate to God as one "who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine" (Eph. 3:20).

John H. Wright, S.J., is the author of A Theology of Christian Prayer (Liturgical Press, 1979).