The Dignity of Causality

One reason we pray is because God wants us to be intimately involved in the building of His kingdom on earth. He wants us to intercede for people and situations, to see Him respond abundantly to our requests, and to glorify Him for His goodness and love.

In other words, God wants us to experience a direct link between our prayers and His actions, to know that our prayers cause Him to act. The 17th century French theologian Blaise Pascal referred to this as “the dignity of causality.”

Regarding Pascal’s quote, CS Lewis wrote,

“’God,’ said Pascal, ‘instituted prayer in order to lend to His creatures the dignity of causality.’ But not only prayer; whenever we act at all He lends us that dignity. It is not really stranger, nor less strange, that my prayers should affect the course of events than that my other actions should do so … For He seems to do nothing of Himself which He can possibly delegate to His creatures.”

God honors us, He showers dignity and purpose on our lives, by giving us the right to come before Him boldly with our prayers, petitions, and service.

Too often we feel powerless in this world, spectators to events that deny God and reject His love. We become discouraged, tempted to believe that God does not hear us and will not respond to our prayers.

We must fight back against this lie of the enemy. In faith we must commit ourselves to prayer, believing God’s promises, making our requests known to God.

Through our prayers and actions, we participate in the work of the kingdom. As we see God responding to our requests we will know the dignity that comes from being kings and priests. Let this truth encourage us to pray more, and to come boldly before the throne of grace.

Be blessed!