woobadooba

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I've heard it said that God doesn't answer prayers/ requests. Of course He's not a gum ball machine. But why pray at all if He doesn't care?
"Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him."
— 1 John 5:14-15 (NKJV)
 
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Celticroots

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"Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him."
— 1 John 5:14-15 (NKJV)

Why does He sometimes answer "No."?
 
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Tolworth John

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But why pray at all if He doesn't care?
We pray because we are in a relationship with Jesus, also he told us to pray.
As to 'doesn't God care!'
Just what sort of care do you expect?

Have you any idea of the cost to God of his practical application of love to you?
 
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St_Worm2

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Why does God say "no"? Why does He allow us to have pain, be persecuted, and suffer? Why does He discipline us? There are a bunch of famous quotes about this. Here are just a very few of those for you to consider :)

Instead of a river, God often gives us a brook, which may be running today and dried up tomorrow. Why? To teach us not to rest in our blessings, but in the Blesser Himself. ~A. W. Pink

Our vision is so limited we can hardly imagine a love that does not show itself in protection from suffering.... The love of God did not protect His own Son.... He will not necessarily protect us - not from anything it takes to make us like His Son. ~Elisabeth Elliot

"God never withholds from His child that which His love and wisdom call good. God's refusals are always merciful -- "severe mercies" at times, but mercies all the same. God never denies us our hearts desire except to give us something better." ~Elisabeth Elliot

"There is no university for a Christian, like that of sorrow and trial." ~Charles H. Spurgeon

"It is good for me to have been afflicted, that I might know how to speak a word in season to one that is weary." ~Charles H. Spurgeon
If you want to know how to get God to say "yes", how to get what your want, there's a simple formula for doing so in the Bible (it's a command with a promise actually). Of course, it may sound a bit easier than it actually is, because what is commanded is absolutely NOT, "delight the Lord" ;)

Psalm 37
4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.

God says "yes", "no" or "wait" to our prayer requests because He loves us and He knows & wants what's best for us, as our loving Heavenly Father .. e.g. Romans 8:28.

Yours and His,
David

166197294.wVbY5yBY.SpurgeonIvelearnedtokissthewaves.png
 
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_-iconoclast-_

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Why does He sometimes answer "No."?

Hello.

Prayer is the way in which we communicate with God. It is not a wish list.

God has all the data. As a father you dont always say yes to your children.

Why do you feel God does not care?

. Psalm 66:18: “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.”


. Daniel 9:18: “We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy.”

. James 4:3: “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”

. James 5:16: “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”
 
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lastofall

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"And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth vs." (1 John 5:14)

"..men ought always to pray, and not to faint [give up]." (Luke 18:1)

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." (Matthew 7:7)
 
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Ikerepc

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Why? See, it is really good and really common question. A lot of peoples will get you part from Bible to answer but that is almost never a good answer and solution. Why? Because you can read that too. And if you found the answer you wouldn't be here, right?

See... Everyone (I think) sometimes ask why? Why this happened, why God don't care, why He didn't did something? I mean, look, there is so many bad things in world, so many innocent dying daily... Why?

Well... Have you child? If that child wants to play with knife because he/she saw someone in circus playing with it, woud you give it to him? If he prays you and pleases and cry, would you? And you don't even know what he will do with it. You can just guess.

Now see God. We think that nothing is impossible for him. So he knows what will happen when he gives you something... And he cares about you more than you about your child. Cause he created you.

See, I got one story. One man was going to businnes wich was very important to him. And he lost his train, it left just before his eyes. He was sooo angry. At God because He let it happen at everyone. Than, later that day he saw at news that that train is crashed and everyone in it dyed. God saved him.
We don't know why He is not answering our prays sometimes but He does.

We don't see woods because we are too close to one tree and we see just that tree.

Remember, when God shouts window behind you, he opens door. Sometimes it is hard to belive it and find it but with time... You will see it.

Than we got to question... Why to pray at all? Because if we don't... Do we really care about God and ourselves? We need to pray, to thank, if child don't ask for anything, don't thank you... I bet you will be really sad... But if he/she do, even if you don't give that to him/her at that moment... You will know that it is ok, that he/she is ok and that you are loved.

My sister wanted to take little brother in her arms when she was four... Mom didn't allowed her. She was soo angry for a long time. But now, she is thankful to mom and if you ask her now, she would do the same ;)

Hope this helps at least a bit :)
 
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Soyeong

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I've heard it said that God doesn't answer prayers/ requests. Of course He's not a gum ball machine. But why pray at all if He doesn't care?

I would disagree that God doesn't answer prayer, however, is not just about asking God for something. It is also about praising God and Psalms 22:3 says that God inhabits the praises of His people. It is also about repentance because in the Lord's Prayer, after hollowing God's name first, we are instructed to ask for forgiveness for our sins, though sometimes we might need to repent before we get to the praise. In Matthew 5:23-24, we are instructed to become reconciled to our brother or sister before if they have something against us before we offer a gift to God. Psalms 51 can be a good one to make our prayer. Prayer is also about acknowledging God's authority and trustworthiness and continuing to place ourselves in submission to His lordship and guidance. Intercession is a huge part of prayer and there are many examples in the Bible interceding for others through prayer, such as Jesus in John 17:1-26. To understate it, there lots of people who need prayer. Prayer is also about pouring our our heart in supplication in sharing our needs and desires with God. Prayer is also about equipping us to to serve God by asking Him to fill us with His Spirit to give us opportunities to do His will. Lastly, giving thanks should be part of every aspect of our prayer.

However, even if it we don't understand why we should be praying, the bottom line is that we should be praying because God commanded us to do so, because that is the example Jesus set for us to follow, and because we have faith in God about how we should live.
 
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Ikerepc

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I would disagree that God doesn't answer prayer, however, is not just about asking God for something. It is also about praising God and Psalms 22:3 says that God inhabits the praises of His people. It is also about repentance because in the Lord's Prayer, after hollowing God's name first, we are instructed to ask for forgiveness for our sins, though sometimes we might need to repent before we get to the praise. In Matthew 5:23-24, we are instructed to become reconciled to our brother or sister before if they have something against us before we offer a gift to God. Psalms 51 can be a good one to make our prayer. Prayer is also about acknowledging God's authority and trustworthiness and continuing to place ourselves in submission to His lordship and guidance. Intercession is a huge part of prayer and there are many examples in the Bible interceding for others through prayer, such as Jesus in John 17:1-26. To understate it, there lots of people who need prayer. Prayer is also about pouring our our heart in supplication in sharing our needs and desires with God. Payer is also about equipping us to to serve God by asking Him to fill us with His Spirit to give us opportunities to do His will. Lastly, giving thanks should be part of every aspect of our prayer.

However, even if it we don't understand why we should be praying, the bottom line is that we should be praying because God commanded us to do so, because that is the example Jesus set for us to follow, and because we have faith in God about how we should live.

See, you are a bit wrong here. I don't want to be rude or anything but I would like to fix one thing you sayed.

God is not a Commander or big General wich comand us to pray. God gived us free will and choice. We don't pray for God. He don't become bigger with our prays.

But we become closer to him. In pray we come closer to him. That's why we pray. Not cause of command. If it was because of some law, I'm first who would not pray. It is just because on that way we got closer to Him, we talk to Him, we says our problems to Him and search for His help and support when it is hard. And than for thanks when it's not. God does not need our prays. We do. We are choosing our paths and praying or not. Not Him, he likes our prays cause he is able to save us by them.

See, God is love. Pure and clean love. That is only description of God. And only description of Love is God. He would like us to be happy. If pray is just something you must do, some command... Than you never felt it... It is talk to God... :)
 
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Soyeong

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See, you are a bit wrong here. I don't want to be rude or anything but I would like to fix one thing you sayed.

God is not a Commander or big General wich comand us to pray. God gived us free will and choice. We don't pray for God. He don't become bigger with our prays.

But we become closer to him. In pray we come closer to him. That's why we pray. Not cause of command. If it was because of some law, I'm first who would not pray. It is just because on that way we got closer to Him, we talk to Him, we says our problems to Him and search for His help and support when it is hard. And than for thanks when it's not. God does not need our prays. We do. We are choosing our paths and praying or not. Not Him, he likes our prays cause he is able to save us by them.

See, God is love. Pure and clean love. That is only description of God. And only description of Love is God. He would like us to be happy. If pray is just something you must do, some command... Than you never felt it... It is talk to God... :)

I have not said that God needs our praise or that we pray for God. However, God does command us to pay so that we can be closer to Him:

Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Mark 13:18 Pray that it may not happen in winter.

Luke 18:1 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.

2 Timothy 2:1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,

Ephesians 6:18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

Romans 12:12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
 
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Celticroots

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Right now I am praying about my future. I have a disability. Because of that I still live with one of my parents. But I recognize my parents will one day die.

I want to be in an environment geared toward supporting people with disabilities and be with people I know care about me. That's a normal thing to pray for.
 
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Ikerepc

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I have not said that God needs our praise or that we pray for God. However, God does command us to pay so that we can be closer to Him:

Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Mark 13:18 Pray that it may not happen in winter.

Luke 18:1 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.

2 Timothy 2:1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,

Ephesians 6:18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

Romans 12:12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
See, a lot of peoples use Bible just as book and read it just like that. You can't use it like book and just use quotes from it. You need to see a bigger picture. That are not commands, that are suggestions for better life with God. What if I let's say quote this "I find more bitter than death the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a trap and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God will escape her, but the sinner she will ensnare." Ecclesiastes 7:26

And many more, you will say, wow, really? Oh, I should stay away from woman! Or not?

See... Nothing in Bible is "must". Bible is just a guidelines for Christians. And more we follow it we are closer to God. But even if we do everything in it, every single "rule" but because we must we are nothing. Guy who come to Jesus and told him that he folowed every single rule, you know Bible I see, so you will know the story, it is hard to find when I need to search at multiple languages :D
Jesus told him to leave all and go with him. Guy went sad. He couldn't. Does that mean that he did everything else wrong? Does it mean that Jesus want us to leave everything and follow him? He searched for that a lot of times in Bible, right?
Are you following it?

I'm not.

So that all are guidelines. He don't want us to live by some rules. He want's us to live by 2 rules.

37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
38 This is the first and greatest commandment.
39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Matthew 22:37-40

I don't see there anything about pray... Do you?

See, with pray you become closer to God, with pray you will be happy and God will help you if you are in need for sure. And sometimes you need to fight hard so you can pray if you are not in mood. But if you pray just because it is some rule, if you pray at outside but you are angry in inside, than that is not pray. Than you are playing with God and that is not good. Jesus alone sayed (I don't really know exactly where but anyway) that we should NOT pray if we are in fight with our brother. Firstly apoligise and than pray. Those invitations to pray you just quoted are just invitations. Just guidelines. Because who would pray if nowhere in Bible is told that we should?
 
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