Faith Without Works: Does Prayer Make Christians Lazy?

Does prayer make Christians lazy? Non-Christians frequently make this charge—that we use prayer as an excuse to shirk responsibility, all in the name of trusting God—against believers, and quite frankly, we’ve sort of brought it on ourselves. 

Yes, prayer can make a Christian lazy—but then you’re not doing it right. Because faith without works is useless.

FAITH WITHOUT WORKS: A CASE FROM THE CLASSROOM

Consider the example of three students studying for a history test:

• Student XYZ: places a hand on her notes and prays, “Lord, I know you can help me ace this test. I’m leaving it in your hands.” She then closes her notebook, picks up her phone, and spends the rest of the evening perusing social media. 
• Student ABC: looks at his notes and prays, “Lord, I really want to do well on this test. Please help me internalize the information so I can remember it for tomorrow’s test.” He then spends the rest of the evening reading through his notes and textbook and practicing test questions.
• Student JKL: spends a rough evening in the emergency room with his ailing father and completely forgets about the test—until he walks into history class the next morning. As the teacher passes out the exams, he says a quick prayer: “Lord, please help me pass this test.”

So who got it right? Who is the true example of real faith, and who has completely missed the point?

GOD: A PERSONAL BUTLER?

I totally understand where the issue of trust vs. laziness comes from. At first glance, Student XYZ looks like the epitome of faith—putting it all in God’s hands. She’s not wrong in believing God could ace the test for her. But if that’s her philosophy, she completely missed the stark warning in James 2:26:

“As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”

Ouch. 

God is not your personal butler who stands in the corner, waiting to act on your every beck and call.

God is not your personal butler who stands in the corner, waiting to act on your every beck and call. He’s your loving creator, and prayer is the remarkable chance to communicate with him in a very personal way. His main objective isn’t to make you happy and successful on earth. He wants you to be happy and successful in heaven, and he gives you the opportunity to take an active role in the outcome.

Want to pass a test at school? Great. You get to work alongside him to make it happen.

Which is exactly what Student ABC recognized. The task of studying fell to him, but he left the outcome to God.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

Notice it doesn’t say present your request to God and go sit on your butt. God will guard your heart and grant you peace as you go about the hard work of life. Show him your faith by following through.

GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE AND ALLOW GOD TO STRETCH YOU

Sometimes we Christians fall into what I call the Manna Complex. We expect manna to fall from heaven every day. We bring our requests to God with the expectation that he will deliver them without us going through the inconvenience of making it happen. 

Yes, miraculous things sometimes happen when we pray. Lives are saved, health is restored, the money stretches farther than you thought possible . . . manna falls from the sky. But most of the time, our loving God expects you to be committed; to be disciplined, bold, active, and hardworking.

We expect manna to fall from heaven every day.

• When you pray for good health, it’s still up to you to take care of your body, seek medical attention when necessary, and follow your doctor’s orders.
• When you pray for safety on a long road trip, you still have to follow the speed limits and drive responsibly.
• If you’re struggling with an addiction, it’s still up to you to avoid triggers, join a support group, or seek counseling.
• If you stumble across a homeless man on the street, certainly you should pray for him. But you should also act. Join a community coalition to feed the hungry and fight homelessness. 
• When you need money, you should pray about it—put your worries in his capable hands—then go get a job and see the wonderful things he does through your work.

God gives you the incredible power and privilege to participate in the carrying out of his will. Use it!

WHEN YOU HAVE NO OTHER OPTION

What about Student JKL, who, due to events out of his control, walked into the room and was immediately faced with a situation he hadn’t prepared for? 

There are times when you can do nothing more to help yourself. I think of a time when a dangerous storm approached our home. We heeded the warnings, went to the basement, and hunkered down. And then we prayed, knowing the storm could very well rip our home from its foundation and kill us anyway. We’d done everything in our power to help ourselves.

God doesn’t only save us at the moment when we’ve done everything right. He also saves us when we’ve done everything wrong.

But then there was another time, with another storm, when we were camping in a tent. In the woods. By Lake Michigan. A storm blew in from the water, bringing terrifying winds and heavy rain. The smart thing to do might have been to abandon the tents and seek solid shelter, and you maybe could argue that by not doing so, we were being lazy and negligent.

This is the awesome thing about our awesome God. He doesn’t only save us at the moment when we’ve done everything right. He also saves us when we’ve done everything wrong, when we’ve been irresponsible and stupid and don’t deserve to be saved.

He did that when he sent his son to die on the cross in your place.

In the moments when we’re backed against a wall, when we’re facing the consequences of our laziness or negligence, Jesus reaches out and says, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

GOD CALLS US TO ACT!

God doesn’t want us to only pray about his will. God calls us to act. When Martin Luther saw corruption in the church, he prayed, then prompted a reformation. When George Mueller saw children in need, he prayed, then started an orphanage. 

And God blessed their work. Faith without works might be useless, but faith where prayer is coupled with action is powerful. Look at your own life. In what ways have you failed to use action in tandem with prayer? Where can you honestly be more committed, disciplined, and consistent? 

Pray, act, and watch how God works his miracles through you!

For more, see Why is faith without works dead? from 412teens.