Why doesn't God answer prayer?

profoundgrace · Jun 17, 2020

For example, we had a dog... he was still young. I prayed God would heal him and God didn't.

I have a basement suite across from mine and I prayed God will bring good neighbour. Previously there were two crack addicts living there. Then, God sent a new neighbour who was worse and someone who even physically pushed me.

Tell me, why would God say he is our shield when He allowed me to be molested at age 7?

I have given up almost everything to follow God and put him first. But I asked for 1 thing in the 7 plus years that I whole heartedly served Him, and something so simple He couldn't even make it happen, something so straight forward!

Does God take pleasure in giving us hope and then suddenly taking that hope away, just so that we can "persevere", "trust Him more", and go through "trials." Tell me how much more pain and suffering does He want us to go through? Does he want Satan to break us, until there is nothing left??

the iconoclast · Jun 17, 2020

Hey there saint

I would like to say I'm sorry to hear of these things that have happened to you. I can relate, would you like to chat?

disciple Clint · Jun 17, 2020

God loves you and He will do what is best for you even if it seems at the time that it is not what you want. There will be a time when you will look back on this and understand. I am sorry you have had such a difficult time and it sounds like you are trying to face problems all by yourself. There are people that can yelp you, God may be trying to get you to reach out to those people. Please trust God, even when it is hard to do.

Chris35 · Jun 17, 2020

Im sorry to hear that brother, i can understand where your coming from. It took along time for God to heal my heart. He did though and am thankful for that.

From your previous post.
4) I had more time for reflection and healing as of late
5) God has been speaking to me and showing me that He is slowly healing my heart

I know your hurt, but your right, God is and has been healing your heart. A step of that healing is God bringing up this pain, the bitterness and the anger inside your heart, towards him and others, so that you can face it with him.

Dont expect it to happen all at once, it took me many many years, however God is faithful and will heal your heart, sometimes we just need a reminder to get through the hard days, when hope seems lost.

God loves you brother, he always has. Keep praying that Gods will for you be done in you, and that he heals and changes your heart into the heart he wants you to have.

God bless you brother.

Rugged Cross · Jun 20, 2020

This is something I too find hard to understand, there are times when I've ranted and raved at Him. But I know in my heart He exists and has a plan for all of us, He has given all a different road and that road sometimes appears to be rocky and unworkable. There a couple of pieces of scripture that I cling to, Jesus said that to 'God all things possible' and Jesus said He would be with 'Until the end of time.'
Keep up the prayer, talk to Him everyday, He will reveal His intentions.

1watchman · Jun 22, 2020

When we speak about asking God for things, we need to keep in mind basic Bible truth. As was mentioned already, we need to be in submission to God to do what He needs and wills to do ---and He ALWAYS does what is righteous and good. If we are not in conformity to God by His 'Word of Truth' we will reason about things and then wonder about outcomes.

First we must know we ARE a "child of God" by the new birth (John 3; John 14; Romans; etc.). He does not yield to the will of mankind who only believe ABOUT God and the teachings of Jesus Christ ----not at all that I question whether you are a "born again" believer, but stating that is the foundation upon which we will build. Then we might be tried by various bad and hard things in our sojourn to humble us and get us to learn to wait upon Him. In "all things He must have the pre-eminence" as Scripture teaches us. I would NEVER begin to cast blame against God, and only wonder what I must do to humble self before my God and be in complete conformity to Him and His leading. Our God loves His creation and creatures, and wants them to be humble before Him and show love and patience. He WILL reward and bless His children! I try to learn patience as I go forward, and my God has never failed me ---even through my trials.

SANTOSO · Aug 21, 2020

Why God don’t answer prayers ?
This is written:
Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or His ear dull, that it cannot hear; -Isaiah 59:1
but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear. -Isaiah 59:2

From here, we come to know there are things that hinder prayers that God cannot hear.
You cannot blame God because He cannot hear you.

The Holy Scripture give many examples of sin as obstacles to prayers :

Matthew 6:13; 1 Timothy 2:18 ; Matthew 5:23-24, 1 Peter 4:7 ; James 4:3; Deuteronomy 18:10-12;John 9:31;James 5:16;

Who the Lord God hears then ?

The eyes of the LORD are toward the RIGHTEOUS and His ears toward their cry. -Psalms 34:15

If you have wholeheartedly seek the Lord God in these past 7 years —
Have you repented daily of your sins ?

God has given you Jesus Christ as your hope; that hope He does not take away !

When you persevere — do you use your own strength or God’s strength —- where in the Bible, is stated that you live by your own strength ?—- He asks you to live by His Spirit who strengthen you. ( Roman 8:5 ; Ephesians 3:16)

So have you obeyed God to baptize in water and Spirit ? If you have,— have you set your mind on the things of the Spirit, as written in Roman 8:5?
Have you trusted and heard God what God call you to obey ?

Do you know when you are suffering that He is suffering WITH you ? ( Roman 8:17 )

And have you heard THIS ?
and He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for Him who for their sake died and was raised. -2 Corinthians 5:15

So the question is :
Do you now live for yourself or do you live for the sake of Christ?
For we are also called to live for His glory.

Do you know Satan seek to steal, kill and destroy, as it is written in John 10:10?

So who do you think kill your dog ? Certainly it is not God but the Devil. When your neighbors were violent in word and actions— do you think your neighbors are filled but godly nature or wicked nature ? Where does wicked nature come from God or the Devil.
That wicked person that molested you, —- are that person nature come from God or the Devil ?
So who is the one who harm you ? It is obvious it has been the Devil who have worked behind the scene.

Now, who puts the thoughts to hate and anger toward the Lord God inside you? Do you think it is the Lord God ?

Have you known this is what the Lord will do for you ?

for the LORD my God is He who goes with me to fight for me against my enemies, to give me the victory.' -Deuteronomy 20:4

Have you known this promise? Do you know how to appropriate His promise in Your life that your life can be victorious and your prayers answered ?

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. -Hebrews 4:15

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. -Hebrews 4:16

GBU

1watchman · Aug 25, 2020

Good thoughts, Santoso! God is good and we are born in and practice sin ---though we think we are doing well (we serve self). The first thing any seeker after God must understand, is that we must never cast evil against God; and we must be "born again" (as John 3) to have any part in God ---read John 14 to hear God speaking to self. God says: "He that has the Son has life, and he that has not the Son of God has not (eternal) life" (note 1 Jn. 5:10-12 about Jesus--the Christ).

It is sad that one must endure bad things sometime in this world, but it should draw us closer to God ---not against God (that would be asking for trouble).

SANTOSO · Aug 26, 2020

I understand why one could get frustrated or upset when God does not answer prayers. It seem what one can do after all hard labors and battles is not enough to satisfy God to answer prayers.

What can we do ?

I continually observe how the Lord work on the holy man or woman of God.

As I have heard:
Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace. -Psalms 37:37

What the holy man or woman of God do :

Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer! -Psalms 4:1

For your name's sake, O LORD, preserve my life! In YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS bring my soul out of trouble! -Psalms 143:11

I find that David did not rely on his righteousness about his circumstances but on God’s righteousness. Even Saul and the whole house of Israel hunt him for not his fault, and bring him much distresses. He still believe God can set him free from all his troubles.

This is what David have prayed :
Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. -Psalms 86:1

For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you. -Psalms 86:5

Even Saul at fault, why do David have to seek God’s forgiveness ?

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; -Lamentations 3:22
they are NEW EVERY MORNING; great is your faithfulness. -Lamentations 3:23

That means that we all need to seek God’s mercies EVERYDAY because who can discern our unintentional sins or who can cleanse from our hidden faults —- only our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us not grow weary to seek the Lord’s mercies.
Let us pray to the Lord at time when God may be found.
Let give ourselves up to the Lord that He may sanctify us with the washing of water with the word.

Let take to heart what the Lord has shown to David.

Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints, for THOSE WHO FEAR HIM HAVE NO LACK! -Psalms 34:9
The young lions suffer want and hunger; but THOSE WHO SEEK THE LORD LACK NO GOOD THING. -Psalms 34:10

Grant us strength, O Lord, to surrender our will to Yours.
Grant us strength, O Lord, to commit to Your will.
Let Your will be done.
Grant us Your strength, O Lord, to hear You that You have answered our prayers.
Amen

mmksparbud · Aug 26, 2020

Where does it say He will keep us all out of every trouble? Everyone has their own walk with God to figure out. You are not the only one who has been molested. I was 5. There haver been those younger. I had my 1st of 3 abortions at the age of 12. My father had his choices to make in life---he chose all the wrong ones. He was a murderer (killed 2 men), a child molester, an abortionist, counterfeiter (money), liar, adulterer, loan shark, actually tried to kill the president of Costa Rica and a Catholic Bishop! (We have documentation for it). He got away with all of it and died at 81. Yet, A child will die of cancer at 4---THIS WORLD IS NOT FAIR!! However, God is still all that is good, He is love, He is justice--we live by faith in Him!

Job_13:15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.

Jesus was tortured, spat on, beaten and whipped and crucified naked---He was without sin. He trusted in His Father and so must we. Nobody has it easy. We have not gone through as much as He did. When He died, He felt the sins of every single person that has ever lived! We can not know the horror of that. There was a 3 year old girl, tied to a Lazy Susan, and spun, whomever she landed in front of, did what they wanted--men and women. She was given narcotics and was addicted when finally found. She was so brutalized, she was never able to have children. Did you have it that bad? I know I didn't. Everyone's pain is never the less pain, even though not as great as maybe someone else's. Your pain is still pain and God can heal you, He healed mine---once I finally quite being angry at Him and let Him and then forgave those that hurt me. It is not an easy thing to do and can take a while, but you will heal when you do. Life is full of ups and downs, but God will always keep us in His arms, when we let Him.

1watchman · Aug 28, 2020

That is truly extreme brutality! You have had a hard time of life, no doubt, but God had His eye on you, and has lifted you up. Your determination to know God has brought grace, and you put your eternal hope and trust in the Lord Jesus, which is the truth of eternal life and blessings God has for us ---as John 14 shows us. That kind of continued searching for God will be rewarded greatly! Let us learn to walk and talk with the Lord Jesus, until that day when we will be with Him forever in the Father's house above.

rhawk · May 24, 2021

"Why doesn't God answer prayers?", an interesting question. My initial thought is "What truly is a prayer?". I wish I could answer your question, but my only thought is to not confuse wishing with prayers to God.

It is hard to explain why I come from there I suppose and this message may more feel like rambling in the end, but it took me close to 50 years for God to get my attention. I used to (heck, I STILL do) wish, make demands of/for, try to bargain, plead and even sometimes try to guilt Him. In the end I know that they are exactly what I just stated they were. I try to remember that He is not a Genie, but my creator who loves me. I am but a child (far less on the grand scale) and cannot hope to understand the whys of my or anyone's life. My life can (in my opinion) suck at times but I am given free will to make my own choices and that often has to include bad choices, choices I feel forced into and choices I just flatly do not want to make (the last one is the worst kind to me).

Far too often I believe people do not realize that God usually does offer us ways out but we are blind to them, expecting only the way we want. It reminds me of a joke (I just had to look it up so I could paste it here":

A fellow was stuck on his rooftop in a flood. He was praying to God for help.

Soon a man in a rowboat came by and the fellow shouted to the man on the roof, "Jump in, I can save you."

The stranded fellow shouted back, "No, it's OK, I'm praying to God and he is going to save me."

So the rowboat went on.

Then a motorboat came by. "The fellow in the motorboat shouted, "Jump in, I can save you."

To this the stranded man said, "No thanks, I'm praying to God and he is going to save me. I have faith."

So the motorboat went on.

Then a helicopter came by and the pilot shouted down, "Grab this rope and I will lift you to safety."

To this the stranded man again replied, "No thanks, I'm praying to God and he is going to save me. I have faith."

So the helicopter reluctantly flew away.

Soon the water rose above the rooftop and the man drowned. He went to Heaven. He finally got his chance to discuss this whole situation with God, at which point he exclaimed, "I had faith in you but you didn't save me, you let me drown. I don't understand why!"

To this God replied, "I sent you a rowboat and a motorboat and a helicopter, what more did you expect?"

Perhaps you are being told to move, give less of yourself to Him, try to help and guide the neighbors.... I do feel for your situation and pray you find what you need to do that will best help you and your life.

I see it has been close to a year since your post, has anything changed?

1watchman · May 27, 2021

A good analogy, 'rhawk! God is good, and we are often carnal and do not appreciate the goodness of God. If one is TRULY "born again" (as John 3; John 14; Romans 8; etc show) we need to be patient and NEVER challenge God. He does care for His own ---all the way home to Heaven! Keep looking up.

Landon Caeli · May 27, 2021

Me, I rarely ask for miracles - typically my purpose for prayer is an act of my love for God. I'm expressing my love through prayer, and honestly, I think it brings us closer.

...But, I don't know about miracles.

SANTOSO · May 27, 2021

Would you be willing to share your prayer, that we may draw closer to God ?

Landon Caeli · May 27, 2021

I recommend the Our Father, and Glory Be... I say them with full devotion. I meditate on those words as I'm saying them.

SANTOSO · May 27, 2021

Sorry, I didn’t get what you mean. Is this prayer rather long ? It would help if we may know the full prayer. Thanks for elaborating the manner that you prayed.

Landon Caeli · May 27, 2021

It's like this:

Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

- and

Glory Be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

...I feel these prayers draw me closer to God when I say it to him, and meditate on the words.

BlackNBlueXtian · Jul 5, 2023

I have prayed for over 30 years for a wife and God has done nothing. God doesn't answer prayers because He enjoys not doing it. He wants to show that He is God by doing nothing. God doesn't care about me!!!!

disciple Clint · Jul 7, 2023

God does care about you, He love you, He also has a plan for you, maybe you should ask Him what His plan is for you and work towards doing His will.

Why doesn't God answer prayer?

Lord restore my soul

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