Although we do not understand everything about God’s providence (Esther 4:14; Rom. 11:33), faithful Christians should firmly believe in the non-miraculous providence of God today. We can ask our loving Heavenly Father for anything according to His will, and He hears and grants our requests (1 Pet. 3:12; 1 Jn. 5:14-15). Sometimes we do not know what God’s will is (such as when we are deciding where to live or what job offer to accept), and we simply pray for wisdom and for God’s will to be done (Mt. 6:10; 26:39-42; Jam. 1:5).
For Christians who doubt that God hears or answers our prayers, here are some questions to consider:
1. If God neither hears nor answers our prayers, how can we get forgiveness for sins after baptism? (Acts 8:12-13, 22-24; 1 Jn. 1:7-9).
2. If God is not doing anything for us today, why would we constantly be giving Him thanks for all things? (Eph. 5:20; 1 Thess. 5:17-18; Jam. 1:17).
3. If God is not doing anything for us today, why make any requests in prayer at all? (Php. 4:6; 1 Tim. 2:1-6).
4. If God is not answering prayers today, where is the peace and care He promised? (Mt. 6, 7; Php. 4:6, 7; 1 Pet. 5:7).
5. If I want what is best for my children, does not my Father want the same for me? (Mt. 7:11).
6. If God can create and uphold the universe, can He not take care of me? (Neh. 9:6; Heb. 1:3; Acts 17:28).
7. If God did not spare His own Son because of His love for me, will He not take care of me? (Rom. 8:32).
8. Where does the Bible say that prayers would become ineffective after the miraculous age?
9. If we believe in the God of the Bible because of all the evidences (prophecies, scientific foreknowledge, total accuracy, etc.), will we not believe what God says regarding prayer, such as what He said in James 5:16 or First John 5:14-15?
10. “If God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?” (Mt. 6:30; cf. Psa. 104:21; 147:8-9). Are we like those with “little faith” in Matthew 6:30, and can we please God while lacking faith? (Heb. 11:6; Jam. 1:6-8).