Melissa Kruger and Courtney Doctor talk about the mysterious tension between the doctrine of God’s sovereignty and human responsibility. They discuss what implications God’s sovereignty has for our prayer lives and why it shouldn’t cool our passion for evangelism. Although it may be hard to understand how God could be sovereign when we are suffering, what is initially a troubling doctrine can become our deepest comfort.

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• None Like Him by Jen Wilkin
• In His Image by Jen Wilkin
• Chosen by God by R. C. Sproul
• Count It All Joy by Helen Roseveare
• Knowing God by J. I. Packer
• Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God by J. I. Packer
• Piercing Heaven: The Prayers of the Puritans

RELATED RESOURCES

• The Unlikely Friendship between God’s Sovereignty and Man’s Responsibility
• Why God’s Election Is Good News
• How Romans 8 Made Me a Calvinist
• 3 Objections to the Doctrine of Election

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

• Have you ever experienced an interruption or inconvenience that turned into a “divine appointment?” How did God use that situation?
• How has learning about God’s sovereignty challenged or comforted you personally?
• How does remembering God’s sovereignty affect your prayer life? 
• In what ways have you struggled to hold the truths of God’s sovereignty and human responsibility in tension? What questions has this tension raised for you?
• How have seasons of suffering or hardship grown your trust in God and helped you experience his presence in distinct ways?
• In what current situation do you most need to “lay your head on the pillow of God’s sovereignty”? How can your discussion partner(s) pray for you?