And Abraham Approached, pt. 5
The Power of Prayer: Three Models of Divine Influence in the Universe
((For the previous installment of "And Abraham Approached," click here.)
Prayer as Judgment:
By applying our minds to the art of prayer, we have unveiled a profound dimension: prayer as a form of moral judgment. When one prays, his or her mind is transported to the very center of the universe. From this vantage point, the pray-er engages in subtle yet profound discernment, sifting through the intertwined threads of good and evil that permeate our world by pronouncing judgment: “This I deem good; this, not.”
This exercise is not merely internal; it radiates outward and affects the world as well. The act of prayer grants the individual a pivotal role in the cosmic narrative. In a universe where good and evil are tightly entangled, prayer serves as a process of spiritual filtration and purification. The pray-er engages in a powerful sorting of these moral complexities: Through his approval, he tips the balance in favor of what is good in the universal scheme, and through his disapproval, he lessens the weight of what is evil.
The significance of human judgment in this context cannot be overstated. When we pray, our moral deliberations are given a weight that transcends our individual existence, as our inner compass aligns with the larger narrative of the universal good.
The man or woman of moral thought thus becomes a pivotal figure in the universal story. By engaging in prayer and becoming an arbiter of the good, they do not just participate in the universe’s narrative – they become the axis around which it revolves. This role carries immense responsibility and reflects a deep connection between the human spirit and the larger cosmic order.
Let us now turn our attention to understanding what we can about the nature of prayer’s causal power. How does prayer, a seemingly ethereal whisper of the soul, ripple through the vastness of the universe and weave its influence into the very fabric of reality?
We present three different models that conceptualize the causal power of prayer.
The Concept of Causality:
To delve into how prayer might exert causal power, it’s essential to first understand what we mean by ‘causality.’ We’ll use a straightforward approach based on the ideas of the philosopher David Hume. Hume described causality with a simple notion: If one event (which we’ll call 'A') leads to another event ('B'), then 'A' can be seen as the cause of 'B.' However, to truly assert that 'A' caused 'B,' we must imagine a scenario where 'A' didn’t happen. If, in this counterfactual scenario, 'B' also doesn’t occur, then we can confidently say that 'A' caused 'B.'1
Let’s apply this to prayer. Imagine a righteous person, a tsaddik, who prays for something specific (this is our 'A'). Following the prayer, a certain event occurs ('B'). To explore the causality of prayer, we ask: If the tsaddik hadn’t prayed, would the event still have happened? If the answer is no, then we can assert that prayer caused the event.
Three Models of the Causal Power of Prayer:
Armed with our understanding of causality, let us delve into three models that conceptualize the ways in which prayer might interact with the universe and influence reality. These models, which we’ll refer to as the Alignment Model, the Divine Providence Model, and the Codependence Model, offer three distinct perspectives:
The Alignment Model: In this model, prayer ('A') and the resulting event ('B') are not seen as direct cause and effect but as parallel outcomes that both emerge from the universe’s inherent design, which itself is in harmony with the thoughts of the righteous individual. In other words, things happen as and when they are supposed to, while the tsaddik, attuned to the universe’s deepest design, senses the rightness of events in advance and expresses that in prayer. The act of prayer and its outcomes are thus seen as interconnected effects of a deeper cause: the moral fabric of the universe. Prayer, in this view, is less about directly effecting specific changes and more about aligning with a cosmic order that inherently favors goodness. In a scenario where the tsaddik doesn’t pray, the beneficial outcome doesn’t occur either, as the righteous mind and the moral universe are aligned.
The Divine Providence Model: This model suggests a direct causal link between human prayer and the unfolding of events in the universe. It posits that Divine Providence is (at least sometimes) responsive to the thoughts and judgments of the righteous and acts in accord with the opinions of the ideal man. God’s justice is applied according to the tsaddik’s sense of justice, making prayer a dynamic force that molds the fabric of reality. In a scenario where the tsaddik does not engage in prayer within the inner world of his righteous soul, positive outcomes that align with his thoughts also fail to materialize in the external world. This suggests that the course of the universe is, in part, a direct response to the moral judgment and intentions articulated through prayer. The complexities underlying this model of Divine Providence involve deep philosophical considerations that extend beyond the scope of our current exploration.
The Codependence Model: The final model views prayer as a transformative act that is essential for perfecting human nature and through that the universe itself. It posits that the goodness of the universe (and by extension, its divine Creator), is intrinsically linked to human virtue. Ultimately, it is man who controls the world; thus, whether the universe will be perfected or not depends on the morality of the human race.2 Through prayer, individuals engage in a process of recognizing the goodness inherent in the world and cultivating the same quality within themselves. This virtue then echoes through the cosmic narrative, actively shaping reality. Should the tsaddik withhold prayer, this vital positive influence is lost, leading to a corresponding absence of good events, due to the intrinsic codependence between human virtue and the universe’s wellbeing. This model reimagines traditional theological concepts to assign significant responsibility and power to prayer, as it is both reflective and constitutive of the universe’s moral state.
Conclusion:
The three models delineated above each provide a unique lens through which to view the intricate dance between prayer and reality. While distinct in their perspectives, these models are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Instead, they might coexist as different facets of the same enigmatic gem, each reflecting an aspect of the grand mystery of the universe and man’s place within it.
It is not within our scope to determine the definitive model among these, nor is it our intention to suggest that one perspective holds more truth than the others.3 Rather, our aim has been to illuminate the various pathways through which prayer might exert its influence, expanding our understanding of its role in both the personal and cosmic domains.
In this spirit, we conclude our analysis of prayer’s causal power, recognizing the boundaries of our current inquiry while embracing the infinite possibilities that prayer offers. Our series will continue to delve into other facets of prayer. Stay tuned for more in-depth discussions as we continue to probe the multifaceted nature of this profound practice.
(For the next installment of "And Abraham Approached," click here.)
See here (in Section VII, part II), where Hume wrote: “We may define a cause to be an object, followed by another… where, if the first object had not been, the second never had existed.”
Notice too that the goodness of God Himself is contingent upon the virtue of humanity, whom He created and entrusted with the stewardship of the world. Divine goodness reflects human morality. Humans develop internal goodness through recognizing and internalizing the goodness of God that is external to themselves – a transformative process facilitated by prayer. Through prayer, individuals not only mirror but also reinforce and sustain the goodness of their Creator. Prayer thus becomes the engine of a virtuous cycle, solidifying the interplay between human and divine virtue. In this cycle, the moral integrity of humanity effectively guarantees and perpetuates the goodness of God. The great responsibility mankind bears – making God manifest in His greatness – is enabled by the act of prayer.
Although I personally believe in prayer’s power as per the second model.
Under (1), there would be no purpose in informing someone of a situation and asking them to daven for you