You Were Created to PraySample

Created to Have Dominion

God created humanity to have dominion over the world. There is a twofold plan for mankind’s dominion: one is physical, the other spiritual.

In the physical realm, God has entrusted the care of the earth to man. This means that we are to be the proprietors of the physical earth, including all the other living things in the world—fish, birds, livestock, and all the animals. Adam was placed in the garden of Eden to tend and cultivate it. (See Genesis 2:15.) This is what mankind is to do with the entire earth: both tend it and cultivate it. God told humanity, in effect, “Rule over My world. Take care of it. Subdue it and fashion it with your own creativity.” The earth is to be ruled over, taken care of, fashioned, and molded by beings made in the image of their Creator. We are meant to reflect the loving and creative Spirit of God.

This brings us to an interesting fact that many believers today often overlook: God didn’t originally create man for heaven. He created man for the earth—for the garden. God is the Ruler of heaven, and He made man to express His authority in this world. God’s plan for creation was this: as God ruled the unseen realm in heaven, man would rule the visible realm on earth, with God and man enjoying continual communion through their spiritual natures. God said, in effect, “I want what’s happening in heaven to happen in the created world; I want My rule to extend to another realm, but I don’t want to do it directly. I want man to share My rule.”

After God created Adam, He spoke to him concerning how to tend the garden and about the parameters of mankind’s dominion on earth. (See Genesis 2:15–17.) The Bible implies that God made a practice of walking and talking with Adam in the cool of the day. (See Genesis 3:8–9.) The fellowship between God and Adam, and Adam’s agreement with God’s purposes, formed the essence of the first prayer.

Adam and Eve could fulfill their purpose on earth only if they were relying on, and in constant communion with, the God of the garden. In the same way, we can function in the purposes for which we were created only as we are connected to our Source.

Having dominion means even more than taking care of the physical world. Since we are both physical and spiritual in nature, we are meant to carry out God’s purposes for the earth not only in the physical realm but also in the spiritual realm. When God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the garden of Eden, it was never His intention that they leave the garden. Instead, He wanted the garden to be spread over the entire earth. What does this mean? God wanted them to take the character of the garden of Eden—God’s presence, light, and truth—and spread it throughout the world. This is the overarching meaning of having dominion over the earth. Isaiah 11:9 says, “The earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” This is still God’s purpose today: for mankind to spread His presence, light, and truth throughout the earth. And one vital way in which we do this is through the relationship we have with God in prayer.

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for giving us principles for prayer in Your Word. Psalm 119:15 says, “I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.” Don’t allow us to walk away from Your truths and forget them. Help us to study Your principles and consider carefully Your ways as revealed in Your Word. Then encourage us to step out in faith to put these principles into practice in our lives. As we do, we thank You for answering our prayers and doing “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to Your power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20). We pray this in the name of Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant. Amen.

Thought: God wants us to take the character of the garden of Eden—God’s presence, light, and truth—and spread it throughout the world.