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Review: Our study of Genesis has revealed much about God—His heart, His character, His justice, His compassion, His Word stands.

Now we begin to see how God deals with man’s sin, successes, failures, rejection, doubts, and favor for those who are faithful in following Him.

Read Genesis 18:16-33

Wait!?!  Can we change God’s mind?  Does God’s mind actually change?

God seemingly changes His mind.

The Golden Calf.  Exodus 32:9-14      

• Start over with Moses.
• Moses pleads with God to relent.
  • Remember your promise and covenant with Abraham.
  • Protect your reputation.

“Spy Gate 1.0” The failed spy reports. Numbers 14:11-20

• Start over with Moses.
• Moses pleads with God to relent.
  • Remember your promise and covenant with Abraham.
  • Protect your reputation.

Hezekiah gets 15 more years. 2 Kings 20:1-6

• God tells him to get his house in order.
• Hezekiah pleads with God for more time.
• He gets 15 more years that led to two key failures in Hezekiah’s life.
  • He fathers a child named Manasseh, who becomes the most wicked of Judah’s kings.
  • He shows off the treasures of Israel to the eventual conquering nation of Babylon.

God’s word from Balaam to Balak:
Numbers 23:19 “God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?

God’s biblically stated attributes.

• He is omniscient. There is no beginning or end to His knowledge.
  • Psalm 139:1-4, 16 “He knows our thoughts from afar… and what we will say before we even say it.”
• His plans do not change.
  • Psalm 33:11 “His plans stand forever.”
  • Hebrews 13:8 “He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
• He is immutable. He does not change. 
  • Malachi 3:6 “I do not change!”

“To change means one has gone from better to worse…worse to better…immature to mature…[or from one] order of being to another.” A.W. Tozer

Applying God’s attributes to “his changed mind”

Golden Calf- That exchange with Moses enabled Moses to not take it personally but to have zeal for God’s reputation. 

Israel’s failed spy report- Moses and Israel learning that it will be by faith in God’s work not man’s leadership that the Land will become theirs.

Hezekiah’s request- Teaches us to pray not my will but your will be done.  We learn there are consequences in not trusting God with our future.

Abraham advocating for Sodom and Gomorrah- Abraham learns that God is holy and just and the land he is giving him is to reflect him.  So, God protected Abraham and his future descendants.   

If God does not change and his plans do not change…why pray?

1. Prayer aligns us to his heart and his thinking.

• Praying in the Spirit on all occasions will lead to walking and speaking in step with the Spirit.

Ephesians 6:18-20 “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. ¹⁹ Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

• Praying continually is God’s will for us and it helps us discern His will.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray continually, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

“Throughout scripture we see God ask questions and bring matters up to individuals for the purpose of working out His will, not because He needs help or more information.  God presents situations to His people to give them the opportunity to line their hearts up with His heart—not the other way around.”  Jean Wilund

2. When we pray we get to participate in and see what God is doing around us, in us, and through us. [Abraham, Sodom, and Gomorrah]

Psalm 34:17 “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.”

3. We get to be part of his powerful work on earth.

James 5:16 “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

Ephesians 1:15-23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, ¹⁶ I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. ¹⁷ I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit^[a] of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. ¹⁸ I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, ¹⁹ and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength ²⁰ he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, ²¹ far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. ²² And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church,²³ which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way."

• God promises that the Church will have the power and authority on earth to do His work.  Prayer is where we step into that work and see His power released—affecting both the spiritual and physical realms. [Christmas Eve healing]

Engaging God in prayer.

1. Trust in his unchanging nature and plans.
   
   
2. Pray for the purpose of aligning your heart and mind to Him.
   
   
3. Give God glory for His incredible work in and around you.