Prayer is one of the most crucial parts of the entire Christian experience, offering an opportunity to connect with God, connect with others, and to make a difference in our world. But if God is perfectly good and perfectly loving, what difference do our petitionary prayers actually make?

In this episode, Joel speaks with philospher Dr. Isaac Choi and theologian Dr. Thomas Jay Oord about the puzzle of petitionary prayer, open relational theology, and collaborative nature of the Biblical narrative.

NEXT STEPS:

Read Dr. Choi’s article “Is Petitionary Prayer Superfluous?”

Read Dr. Oord’s book God Can’t: How to Believe in God and Love after Tragedy, Abuse, and Other Evils

Other books by Oord:

Questions and Answers for God Can't

Open and Relational Theology

Other helpful resources on prayer:

Richard Foster: Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home

Tim Keller: Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God

Scott Davison: Petitionary Prayer: A Philosophical Investigation