We believe God does have it within his power to order things according to his purpose.

Who wants to go ask requests of one who's a heavenly impotent being who doesn't have control of the affairs

of this world.

And a very close friend in seminary, Methodist guy. We were real good friends and here I was

a vociferous fighting columnist, and he was a passionately persuaded Methodist in Armenian and he thought

that Calvinism was the most repugnant theology of Arnes life and I thought

Armenianism was the most ungodly thing I'd ever encounter.

And there we worried on and on all of time, but both of us had a passion for evangelism. and we used to pray together. We get down on our knees and I

would say dear God I pray that you will bring to realization, your eternal decrees of election, and the life of so

and so.

And he would say to me, he would get mad and he would pray next to me and he would say, he would get mad and he would pray next to me and he would say, oh God, please bring Bill

so and so to a saving knowledge of Christ. I say, time out! Stop the praying. I said,

you can't pray like that. I said, what are you asking God to do when you ask God to save that man and asking God

to open his heart and asking God the Holy Spirit to change that human being sovereignly? What are you asking God to do except to manifest

his sovereignty?

I said under your theology, you have no right to ask God to do anything.

It's only because we recognize his sovereignty

that we come to him in prayer in the first place. Who wants to go ask requests of one who's

a heavenly impotent being who doesn't have control of the affairs of this world.

The very reason why we pray. In other words, it's because we believe God does have it within his power.

To order things according to his purpose, and that's what sovereignty is all about to order according to his purpose.

You've been listening to ultimately with R.C. Sprawl. This podcast is produced by Ligonier

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