I respect all the feedback - but what about the lost, those that never had a chance, our dear ones that we care about and pray for - in reality the prayers mean nothing (they have more to do with our faith) but in terms of affecting the outcome, it's a lost cause becasue the end result is predetermined.

I know sovereign grace is more than just Romans 9 - there is quite a lot of Biblical support for sovereign grace BUT there is also a great deal of Biblical support for man's part in the equation - the command to believe and trust in the Lord Jesus, and the salvation granted to those that do. If all these commands are dependent solely on God's work aren't they superfluous or are they merely directions for the elect and condemnation for the non-elect?

The mercy of God is necessary not only when a person repents, but even to lead him to repent, Augustine