Some genuine grace believers erroneously think that since we understand God’s eternal plan and what He is doing and not doing today, and that he uses “all things (the good and the bad) for the good,” then ‘we have no need to pray for anything for the people suffering’ under the devastation of natural disasters. I held this view for a time after learning of the grace message the need for utter reliance upon the Lord and His work in our lives.

While we know that, we could at least pray for the salvation of those suffering. I note in Paul’s epistles that his prayers (petitions) were not for people’s health or wealth, but rather for the furtherance of the gospel of Christ.

If you think about it, we can learn so much about a person’s theology by simply listening to them pray aloud. We hear them talking directly to God, of what is on and in their heart. Their words reveal the level of their understanding of the Scriptures and God’s eternal purposes and plan. We can hear what Bible verses they are repeating back to God. Are they quoting verses written to and about ‘the nation Israel,’ or verses applicable to “the Church… the Body of Christ”? Are they “rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15)? That is, are they praying based upon what God did in the ‘past’ concerning Israel or what God is doing ‘today’ in “the body of Christ”? We can see if they temporally and earthly minded, or eternally and heavenly minded.

“While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2 Cor. 4:18)

Then also, today the realm of prayer often abounds with superstition passed on by religious and pagan tradition, which is not Bible based. If we listened to the average Christian’s prayers over the course of time we would hear very little, if any, based upon sound Bible teaching. No doubt there would be many nice-sounding terms and flattering titles for God, much theological speculation, and snippets of assorted Scripture verses. Yet, overall, such prayer would be shallow, meaningless, and ineffectual. I say ineffectual because nobody can make God do what He is not doing today, during this age of the pure grace of God.

I can say this from personal experience, having listened to denominational Christians’ prayers, including my own, as they were many years. Various and sundry strange ideas lurk in the minds of so many believers because they are so grossly misinformed or severely uninformed. They grab and quote Bible teachings without discretion, not studying the words in their context. Christendom has done an unparalleled job in confusing them, and their audible prayers expose their confusion!

Just consider how that whenever tragedy strikes, almost everyone starts praying, even the so-called “non-religious.” They may not be churchgoers and/or they may not “believe in God” at all, but something inside them, some inexplicable urge, drives them to start speaking to any “god” who may be listening. While they don’t understand why they want to pray but they do it anyway. Hurricanes, mass shootings, bombings, burning buildings, tsunamis, automobile accidents, and so on, motivate people everywhere to pray. In times of danger, people trained in so-called “Christian” religion automatically start reciting the so-called “Lord’s Prayer” (actually Israel’s prayer), “Our Father which art in heaven....” Others do a “Hail Mary,” “Glory Be,” or direct some other wrote memorized prayer to some so-called ‘saint.’ So, prayers become more fervent and more numerous in times of trouble! Empowered by great zeal, sincere people then become distracted from what sound Biblical prayer really says and what it is to ultimately accomplish.

For example, the southeastern United States is prone to hurricanes during summer and autumn. I’ve often seen and heard of ‘prayers for hurricane season.’ People beg God to spare them from these natural disasters. They do not want to suffer/die, see loved ones suffer/die, or lose their property. Hence, they read that prescribed memorized prayer over and over and over, hoping God will grant them their wish. However, despite all that praying, the hurricanes still come, destroying lives and property.

Then of course, the Bible scoffers look the Christians and their unanswered prayers and say, “Ha! Those ‘Christians’ are a bunch of superstitious ignoramuses!” Just as we thought, there is no ‘God!’ They prayed for ‘God’ to spare them and no one was there to hear them! ‘God’ cannot help me any more than He can help them! Me joining ‘Christianity?’ No thanks!” The ignorance of Christians seems to give credence to Satan’s accusations.

As for the Christians and their unanswered prayers, they often become disappointed, defeated, and perplexed. They might say, “Where is God when I need Him? Is it my unconfessed sin? My worthlessness? His unconcern? Why was I ignored?”

This sounds harsh, but it’s the truth. We need to recognize and call out religious nonsense for what it is, to the intent we address and correct it. Not only is the scoffer being foolish. It’s also foolish is for “Christians” to utter prayers that have absolutely nothing to do with what God is doing today. Therefore, it is silly foolish non-believers to point to the faulty prayers of ill-informed religious people, using it to build a case against God.

The fact is that God is not involved in what they’re praying; consequently, their prayers are in vain (useless), to no purpose, meaningless. Had they prayed according to God’s will, they would have seen results that do not disappoint. If God does not react or behave the way we want, we have no business assuming He is wrong, lazy, or otherwise occupied! There is no need whatsoever to be uninformed or misinformed concerning Christian prayer during times of trouble. If there is any doubt or confusion whatsoever concerning prayer, any fault or disappointment touching prayer, the problem lies in people rather than God or the Holy Bible!

As stated earlier, when bad news is heard, people start praying. But, what do they pray for? They pray for injured bodies to be healed. They ask God for the serial killer’s apprehension. They pray there is no severe property damage. They ask God for financial difficulties to disappear. They pray for floodwaters to subside. They ask God for storms to dissipate quickly and/or not come their way. They pray for no one to be hurt. They pray for God not to let anyone die. They pray for no power outages, and no food or water shortages. They pray for their dying loved ones to live. It’s assumed that Almighty God will perform miracles to show His love and goodness toward them. After all, there are Bible passages that demonstrate God’s miraculous power clearly visible in the lives of people… long ago in “time past.” This is a juvenile understanding of God, ignoring His purpose and ways during today’s age of “the dispensation of the grace of God.” Understandably, today, people still want to see God’s activities with their physical eyes.

There is another erroneous idea that ‘everything in the Bible is mine.’ Since signs, miracles, and wonders belong to the nation Israel, and Israel appears in approximately 80 percent of the Bible, most of the Scriptural accounts involve God doing work before physical eyes. Just think of Moses parting the Red Sea, the 12 Apostles healing sick bodies, the Lord Jesus casting out devils, fire and brimstone raining down from Heaven to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, the Lord Jesus calming the storm, Israel’s many military victories, water pouring forth from a rock, manna and quail falling from Heaven, floodwaters covering the globe in the day of Noah, and numerous other examples.

But… God’s work today is in the unseen hearts of men.

“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13)

“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” (Philippians 1:6)