When I Pray, What Does God Do?

Scientist and theologian David Wilkinson shares his insights and struggles with the question of how God answers prayer
How does God answer prayer? This question has engaged Christians for centuries. It has been intellectually shaped by the rise of science, the problem of evil, and the nature of the biblical records. Scientist and theologian David Wilkinson engages with the question, sharing his insights and struggles.
What we believe affects how we pray. Science does not rule out God acting in the universe in surprising ways, and the Bible portrays a God who acts in the world in response to people s prayers. God is not a slot machine, an indulgent parent, a divine dictator, or a ruler in absentia. But how does He work in a world of science? Why doesn t He answer more often? How has God acted in history? How did Jesus pray and what can we learn from Him? How, in a world governed by law and grace, should we pray?
There is a mystery about the nature and outcome of prayer, particularly in the experience of unanswered prayer. David Wilkinson shares how he has wrestled with this while praying in the midst of his wife s long-term illness.