(Shane Story is my nephew (Wade Trimmer)

If you know Jesus Christ, you must realize that God is never surprised! He who knows all cannot be surprised, disappointed or caught off guard. God never learns anything new! (Psalm 147:5; Isaiah 46:9-10; Job 37:16) He knew you completely from birth to death before He called you into His kingdom of light and before you were created or even born. (Psalm 139:13-18; Isaiah 49:1,5; Jeremiah 1:5; Romans 8:29; Galatians 1:15; Ephesians 1:4-5; 2:10) Think on that a long while! 

God cannot lie or change His mind! (Numbers 23:19; Hebrews 6:18) To do so would mean that He learned something that He did not already know and had to back up and punt. If you think otherwise I feel sorry for you that your god is such a little god. You really need to get to know the real BIG GOD revealed in the Bible. 

But you say, God repented about creating mankind (Genesis 6:6) Consider Revelation 13:8 which says, “...everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb [Jesus] who was slain.” (emphasis mine) You say, “I don’t like that” or “I found God” or “that is not how I like to see God.” It doesn’t matter how we “like to see God.” It matters how God truly is. We must study the word, shut our mouths, and bow our knees to the truth He has revealed about Himself whether it is agreeable to us or not. You didn’t find God. You weren’t even looking! (Romans 3:10-12) He found you. (Isaiah 65:1; Ezekiel 34:11; Luke 15:4, 8; 19:10; John 6:44)  

If you are in Christ, He never changed His mind about you. He has never learned new anything about you. He did not see something good in you and choose to save you. (Romans 3:12) You were written in His book before He said, “Let there be light!” What is the significance of Revelation 13:8? It means that salvation by grace, through faith, via Jesus Christ has always been Plan A (Acts 4:12; Romans 5:6-8; Ephesians 2:4-10; Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:9; Revelation 21:6). There is no Plan B! In Matthew 26:39 Jesus told the Father (paraphrasing) if there is any other way...but there was still only Plan A.  In Genesis 6:6, God was grieved with pain over making man and seeing his wickedness and his continual bent towards evil, but He didn’t change His mind. 

You say, What about Jonah 3:4 and 10? This was a warning from God and thus conditional upon the response of the people of Nineveh. Otherwise, why warn them? God was warning what would happen unless they repented. The NATION did repent in fasting, sackcloth and ashes: 

“⁵ And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them. ⁶ The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. ⁷ And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, "By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, ⁸ but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. ⁹ Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish." Jonah 3:5-9 

Jonah 3:10 is translated “God repented” in some unfortunate translations. The word can, and I believe does mean “to pity.” There is no change of God’s mind. He took the action that He had always intended to take-judgment if they didn’t heed, or to postpone His sentence if they did. He knew how they would react and took pity upon them-remember Omniscient (All Knowing) God. (See Zephaniah 2:13) Nineveh was destroyed in 612BC. Jonah was written circa 760BC. They had nearly 150 extra years of postponed judgment. Today Nineveh still lies in ruin in the city of Mosul, Iraq. 

So why pray? Prayer aligns our will with His. It is a part of our fellowship with God. We get our marching orders. We find out what God is up to, and join Him. In the lives of my kids there were often many things available to them if they had but asked me. Some they got and some they did not. Many times I had good planned that I desired to do for them, but of which they were unaware. However, their actions, disobedience, attitude or damaged fellowship prevented them from receiving what was there. I think it is similar with God. (Psalm 81:11-16) 

Hear the heart of Jesus in Matthew 23:37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” (emphasis mine). Jesus would have loved to have protected them with the good He had. They were not willing and did not receive it. How about “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’” says the LORD. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’” Jeremiah 29:11 NLT “For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly.” Psalm 84:11 This is conditional. How about 2 Chronicles 7:14? 

Remember, when One really does know it all, He never has to change His mind. He does, however, respond to some things conditionally based upon our asking, obedience and seeking or not. (James 4:8) For example, perhaps you need healing and have not been healed. Maybe it is because you have never asked Him. Another person may ask, and God heals them. Sometimes He chooses not to as well. I believe some things are available for the asking. They aren’t things that change God’s mind, but optional blessings and such that depend upon whether or not we will ask. (Matthew 7:7-11; John 16:24; James 4:2) 

Do you know the real God of the Bible-the Big God with only one plan, Plan A? It is the plan for reversing the curse, bringing restoration to creation and salvation and abundant life to mankind through Jesus Christ. Sin brought division, separation, alienation and disunity. God’s Plan A has always been to unite all things in Christ. (Ephesians 1:10) God is Big! God is large! God is in charge! He never changes His mind! He never needs to do so!