The Role of Fate in Our Lives: An Exploration of Divine Order -By Seun Elere

A few years ago, while watching a tense football final, I found myself fervently praying for my team to win. In the midst of my prayers, an unsettling thought crossed my mind: What about the fans of the other team? They, too, were praying for a victory. How does God decide whose prayers to answer? This seemingly trivial moment sparked a profound question in me: How does God determine whose wishes are granted, especially when they seem to contradict one another?

Take, for example, two candidates vying for the same job, both praying to the same God for success in the interview. How does God decide? Is it based on who has the higher faith? What if both have equal faith? How does God handle that? For years, I wrestled with these questions, searching for answers that made sense within my understanding of the world.

Finally, I arrived at what I believe is a logical, albeit humbling, answer: Fate plays a decisive role in the outcome of our lives, not necessarily our faith. I’ll admit, it was a difficult pill to swallow, given my previous stance on the non-existence of fate. Yet, as I reflected deeper, I came to understand that God is the author of order, and everything happens according to a divine plan, set even before the beginning of time. The Holy Books attest to the perfect sequence of creation, and indeed, God knows the end from the beginning.

Our lives are not random, nor do they unfold purely by chance. Our fates, in a sense, are sealed before we are born. This doesn’t mean that we lack agency or that we are merely puppets of destiny; rather, it suggests that there is a grand design—one that we may not always understand, but one that guides us nonetheless. If you are destined to be, you will be. If not, no matter how hard you strive, certain things will never come to pass.

Many of us experience frustration because we pour energy into pursuits that are not meant for us. We chase after goals that we were never destined to achieve, and in doing so, we feel the weight of failure without understanding why. The question then arises: Why doesn’t God reveal our fates to us upfront?

The truth is, God does reveal our paths, albeit in fragments and at the right time. Unfortunately, many of us are too stubborn or too focused on our own desires to recognize these signs. If God were to reveal the entire course of our lives to us, I believe the world would be in chaos. There’s a famous story of a man who consulted a sorcerer about his future and was told that he would soon become wealthy. This prophecy led him to abandon all ambition and work, as he believed his wealth was inevitable. In the end, he died in poverty because he failed to make the right efforts at the right time.

Now, imagine if we were told everything about our lives—the exact moment of our death, the precise sequence of events. How reckless would we be in our decisions? Would we live with care, or would we treat each day with disregard, knowing the outcome would unfold regardless?

Perhaps the most sensible prayer we can offer is not for wealth, fame, or success, but for God to redirect our focus from what is not meant for us. We should ask for clarity, for guidance to recognize the paths that align with our destiny, rather than chasing after things that will never be ours. After all, the ultimate peace comes not from striving for what is outside of our reach, but from accepting what is truly meant for us.

In a world where so much feels uncertain, maybe the best prayer is a simple one: Guide me to where I truly belong, and help me let go of everything else.