Counting Our Blessings: A Prayer about Free Will
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This is the ninth installment in a series of prayers based on the Westminster Confession of Faith (1647). To learn more about the history of the Westminster Standards, please click here.
The Westminster Confession of Faith—Of Free Will
God hath endued the will of man with that natural liberty, that it is neither forced, nor, by any absolute necessity of nature, determined to good, or evil. Man, in his state of innocency, had freedom and power to will and to do that which was good, and well pleasing to God; but yet, mutably, so that he might fall from it. Man, by his fall into a state of sin, hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation: so as, a natural man, being altogether averse from that good, and dead in sin, is not able, by his own strength, to convert himself, or to prepare himself thereunto. — Westminster Confession of Faith 9.1-3
O Lord, you are sovereign over all things.
Father in Heaven,
I praise you, for you are all powerful and you work in mysterious ways. Somehow, even while you are sovereign over all things, you have still given me a will that has natural freedoms. Yet, I confess, in my fallen nature I have lost all ability to will any spiritual good apart from your gracious gift of new birth and a new heart.
Help me to understand what your word has made plain.
The subject of the freedom of the will has challenged numerous theologians throughout the centuries and it challenges me today. Lord, please help me to understand this mystery as much as a person can. And where my understanding meets its limits, please help me to humbly accept what your word has made plain.
Help me to make good choices today.
Father, in your sovereignty, you have made all people with an ability to make genuine decisions, so that we are not forced to be like robots or objects of cold fate. I am not determined by the world around me, or the DNA within me, but apart from you my sin nature makes me wholly inclined to evil. When Joshua said, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Josh. 24:15), he was making a real choice. Help me to take responsibility for my choices today. If I am tempted, help me to admit it is because I am drawn away by my own lust and enticed (James 1:14). Please also help me to resist temptation so that I will make good choices today.
You have given people freedom to make genuine choices.
I confess, O Lord, that if I were in charge, I don’t think I would give people freedom. I might direct people to do particular actions so that I would feel safe. Yet, you did not do this. In your wisdom you have given people freedom to make genuine choices, including terrible ones that would cost the blood of Jesus (Gen. 3:6; Matt. 26:28; John 19:34).
Help me to be a friend of freedom out of respect for you.
Grant to me courage to influence people to do what you desire, according to your good and perfect law. In this I act as friend of the freedom you have given those whom you have redeemed. It is fear that drives me to try to control people's choices—a fear that I won't be able to handle the consequences of their decisions. While I may be called to limit some people’s choices, like choices I offer my children, and sometimes respectfully challenge people’s choices, I have no ability to remove the power of choice from them. Yet, I am neither called nor able to remove from people the power of choice. Please help me to honor the limits in my relationships with other people and trust that you, by your all-sufficient grace, will enable me to face the consequences of people’s decisions whatever they may be.
Thank you for restraining me in my decisions.
Father, I not only fear the poor decisions others may make, but I also fear the terrible ones that I might make. Thank you for restraining me in my decisions. You have not left me alone to make decisions but have given me your word and Spirit to guide me (Ps. 119:105; John 16:13). Thank you that though you have given me freedom to make choices of great consequence, even between life and death, you always urge me, by faith, to choose life so that I and those under my care may have abundant life (Deut. 30:19). Thank you also for using persuasion to guide me as a Christian so that my heart may learn to make good choices and become more like Christ in my inner person. Please continue to urge me toward choices for life in all decisions this day, small and great, and give me a heart that is responsive to your word.
Even though others may pressure me, I am still responsible for my decisions.
Please forgive me for times I neglect to take responsibility for my choices, either by making careless ones or blaming others fully for my circumstances when these circumstances are partly a consequence of my decisions. If I’m honest, an outburst towards a family member such as “You made me late!” or “You made me do that!” can come more easily than a calm prayer to you in which I confess my poor judgment as well as an apology towards others for my poor decisions. The truth, O Lord, is that others may pressure me, but I am still responsible for all of my decisions.
Please forgive me for being too proud to turn to you for wisdom.
Sometimes I wish I were not responsible for my decisions. I wish I could happily decide everything by the roll of the dice: “Que sera, sera!” I want to relax through life as if floating down a river. This approach may work when choosing which entrée to order. Even in important decisions, when much research leads to no clear answer, we may humbly flip a coin. Yet, often I am too lazy to do the hard work of making a good decision. Or I am too proud to turn to you for wisdom. So I leave the decision to someone else, such as my husband, and I piously call it “headship” or pretend my decisions don’t matter anyway and give myself permission to quit seeking wisdom. This doesn’t lead to the best decisions. Please forgive me for my neglect, presumption, and pride.
Help me to rejoice in the grace of Christ and the work of the Spirit.
Please teach me to use well the freedom you have graciously given to me by faith in Christ Jesus and most of all to honor your Son Jesus Christ and you in him. For one day I know we will see clearly that every choice made in obedience to Christ was right and will be magnificently rewarded. Amid my decisions, both good and bad, please help me to always rejoice in the grace of Christ and the irresistible work of your Holy Spirit.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
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