Prayer, Middle Knowledge, and Divine-Human Interaction

Kyle D. DiRoberts

• Publisher: Wipf and Stock
• Year: 2018
• eBook ISBN: 9781532653544
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Theology

Christians generally believe that in prayer they are free in their act to petition God. Christians also believe that they pray to a God that is sovereign and omniscient. Kyle DiRoberts maintains that explanation as to how one affirms these two truths is dependent upon one's account of divine providence, which determines how motivated the person is to offer petitionary prayer in the divine-human relationship. The theories of providence and their understanding of petitionary prayer discussed in this book include: compatibilism, hard determinism, open theism, and middle knowledge. Each of the theories of divine providence discussed in this book share a desire to construct a view concerning petitionary prayer that would propel the Christian toward God in relationship and then lead the body of Christ to pray without ceasing. DiRoberts argues that middle knowledge is the preferred theory of providence as it relates to petitionary prayer, because for middle knowledge, God's sovereignty includes both his omniscience and libertarian human freedom.

1

Theories of Providence

In this chapter, I examine four theological systems concerning divine providence: compatibilism, hard determinism, open theism, and middle knowledge. Within evangelical literature, these four systems most commonly appear in the discussion concerning divine providence. This chapter will define each of the aforementioned terms and address their biblical and theological characteristics. Once the examination of each of these theories of providence is complete, I will define petitionary prayer (chapter 2). Each of these systems and their understanding of petitionary prayer will be treated individually in later chapters.

Compatibilism

John Feinberg offers the following definition of compatibilism: “An action is free so long as there are antecedent conditions which decisively incline the agent’s will in one way or another without constraining it.”1 The key phrase in Feinberg’s definition is, “without constraining,” which entails, “to act in accord with one’s desires.”2 For the compatibilist, God then has the power within his providence to determine causally a human’s free will without compromising that human’s freedom. D. A. Carson defines compatibilism as

God is absolutely sovereign, but his sovereignty never functions in such a way that human responsibility is curtailed, minimized, or mitigated. Human beings are morally responsible creatures—they significantly choose, rebel, obey, believe, defy, make decisions, and so forth, and they are rightly held accountable for such actions; but this characteristic never functions so as to make God absolutely contingent.3

Carson adds to Feinberg’s definition by emphasizing the mystery involved in affirming the sovereignty of God and human freedom. Carson believes too many “unknowns” exist concerning (1) the sovereignty of God and (2) human freedom when each of these truths are treated independently from one another. Furthermore, the mystery compounds when one tries to understand them working together.4 How God’s sovereignty and human freedom are compatible is truly a mystery, and compatibilism is the belief that human free will (non-libertarian) is compatible with the sovereignty of God, which is why Carson and Feinberg would be considered compatibilists.

God’s Providence

The providence of God speaks to the way in which he graciously works out his will within the created order, and compatibilism offers its own way of resolving the question of how God relates to his created order with the intent of bringing about his desired end. Open theism, middle knowledge, and hard determinism will present different ideas about how God’s outworking of his divine purpose is fulfilled.

Wayne Grudem describes his view of divine providence as “compatibilism,” because the word determinism can be confusing to contemporary English speakers.5 Grudem explains that compatibilism holds that “absolute divine sovereignty is compatible with human significance and real human choices.”6 Also, he prefers compatibilism because determinism suggests that God governs the universe in a mechanistic sense rather than as a wise and personal God.7 Similar to Grudem, Millard Erickson, a compatibilist, provides another helpful definition of providence. He writes, “The continuing action of God by which he preserves in existence the creation he has brought into being, and guides it to his intended purposes for it.”8 Due to God’s preserving work, the relationship that God shares with his creation has implications for one’s conduct as a Christian. In Christian Theology, Erickson emphasizes two implications for the relationship God shares with his creation: (1) God maintains and sustains his creation through the work of preservation; (2) God guides and directs his creation through God’s governmental work.9

Preservation

A key aspect of divine providence is that God maintains and sustains his creation through the work of preservation. Grudem supports Erickson’s first claim that God preserves his creation. Grudem explains that “God is continually involved with all created things in such a way that he (1) keeps them existing and maintaining the properties with which he created them; (2) cooperates with created things in every action, directing their distinctive properties to cause them to act as they do; and (3) directs them to fulfill his purposes.”10 Grudem posits that God’s sovereignty emphasizes God’s ultimate control over all things. For example, he cites Ps 104 as depicting God’s preserving nature as he set the earth on its foundation (Ps 104:5); he sends springs into the valleys between the hills (Ps 104:10).11 God also sets the darkness in so that the young lions might prey upon their meal for sustenance (Ps 104:20–22). In short, Erickson and Grudem describe God’s providential work, which includes his preservation of creation. Thus, the work of preservation in petitionary prayer includes God’s work whereby he cooperates with humans in order to bring about his purposes through human prayer.

Government

Along with God’s preservation of his creation, Erickson claims that God guides and directs his creation to fulfill his purposes. He uses the term God’s government for this second idea of providence. This term carrie...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Foreword
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: Theories of Providence
• Chapter 2: Petitionary Prayer and Theology
• Chapter 3: Compatibilism, Hard Determinism, and Petitionary Prayer
• Chapter 4: Open Theism and Petitionary Prayer
• Chapter 5: Middle Knowledge and Petitionary Prayer
• Chapter 6: Conclusion
• Bibliography