The future of our lives is somewhat open-ended. What we do and say—including our prayers—will shape our lives and the lives of others. God interacts with us, always working for our good and for the good of the world. But we can resist God’s work, say, by neglecting the needy among us. God’s decision will be affected by what we do and say, and this will shape our futures.
This message is adapted from “The Prophets, the Future, and Prayer” written by Terence E. Fretheim in the May 1998 issue of Lutheran Woman Today (now Gather) magazine.