Does God really answer prayers?

[rcorlew]

How many times have you prayed and prayed that God help you out in a particular situation?

Do you just pray so that maybe you will just keep hope alive for yourself, or do you think that the Lord actually does answer prayer?

Have you ever analyzed your life to see if truly the Lord remains faithful to you as He commands you to be to Him? Do you look for answers to your prayers, even if they are hidden and not easily seen or thought of as answers at all?

I am just wondering how people really feel about prayer in general, not so much about their personal theology.

 

[BobW188]

I think he answers them. Quite often, "No." And only because he is omniscient does he not say to himself, "Where did he get that idea?" Like many Christians, I pray the Lord's Prayer at least daily. Now in my 65th year of probing and not reaching the limits of my own stupidity; I hope he gives "Thy will be done" a higher priority than my own bright ideas.

 

[ebia]

How many times have you prayed and prayed that God help you out in a particular situation?

Do you just pray so that maybe you will just keep hope alive for yourself, or do you think that the Lord actually does answer prayer?

Both. In fact those aren't entirely distinct things. Very occasionally he even answers them in the way I hoped for. Like many of Jesus's answers to questions, it's not so much "no" as "yes, but not in the way you expected".

Have you ever analyzed your life to see if truly the Lord remains faithful to you as He commands you to be to Him? Do you look for answers to your prayers, even if they are hidden and not easily seen or thought of as answers at all?

Do I go looking - not often. Do I notice - yes.

I am just wondering how people really feel about prayer in general, not so much about their personal theology.

Hard work. Rewarding, but all too tempting (and easy) to avoid.

 

[Armistead]

If we really think about it, God has already heard and gave answers to all prayers prayed by all humanity. We can't put time on it, but even a hundred trillion years,...all eternity, God already knew every prayer that I would ever pray and already answered them.

The bible says he already knows what we need before we even ask. Still, it's hard understanding God's will. Many say God will take care of the needs of his people. When I traveled with our missions to Africa, there were many believers there starving, no housing, clean water, medicine..really nothing. Many children died or suffered terribly. I often wondered why the difference for so many around the world, why believers they don't have even the basic needs met. In America, it's fairly easy to get your basic needs met because in the end we have so many welfare programs, nations that don't the people suffer terribly christian or not.

It goes back to the old question, does God allow universal law to do it's will and only involve himself when needed to fulfill his will or can our prayers bring forth noticable answers.

I have seen both. Sometimes prayers that were obvious miracles to me and times where I hit a brick wall....I just keep on praying.

 

[Emmy]

Dear rcorley. Yes, God hears and answers our prayers. His answer is always Yes, No. or Wait a bit, which can mean a long time. God is our Heavenly Father, we are His adopted sons or daughters. Accordingly we ask, and the answer is either Yes my child, or No, my child, or Wait a bit, but keep on praying. Yes and no are straight forward, and it can be slightly different. When it concerns others, we have to wait. We know that God will not force, or coerce in any way. If we ask for things which are good for us, we will get them, sooner or later. If we ask for something which is bad for us, ( and God can see far ahead) His love for us will keep it away from us. When it tconcerns others, the best we can do is to keep praying. Our prayers will also help. I say this humbly and with assurance, rcorley. Greetings from Emmy, your sister in Christ.

 

[god's_pawn]

either God answers prayers, or my life in made up of strange coincidences that would make it seem like God answers prayers.......

 

[ebia]

either God answers prayers, or my life in made up of strange coincidences that would make it seem like God answers prayers.......

When I pray coincidences happen, and when I do not, they don’t." -Archbishop William Temple

 

[YourChild]

How many times have you prayed and prayed that God help you out in a particular situation?

Do you just pray so that maybe you will just keep hope alive for yourself, or do you think that the Lord actually does answer prayer?

Have you ever analyzed your life to see if truly the Lord remains faithful to you as He commands you to be to Him? Do you look for answers to your prayers, even if they are hidden and not easily seen or thought of as answers at all?

I am just wondering how people really feel about prayer in general, not so much about their personal theology.

God is always faithful to what He says....I'd be worried if I saw myself even pondering on whether or not He is faithful to His word.

you can't see what's going on in the Spiritual Realm with your prayers. the answer could well be on its way but delayed because demons are trying to snatch it from the hands of the deliverer, the angels. Or it could be that what you're praying for isn't really what the Lord wants for you. For example, a back slider living in sin asking God to bring him a wife....there are many variables involved but whatever the case is, you must remain solid in believing that God is faithful to His word...the minute you start to ponder if He is or not, you should know that the devil has already stepped his foot in the door.

 

[HuntingMan]

How many times have you prayed and prayed that God help you out in a particular situation?

Do you just pray so that maybe you will just keep hope alive for yourself, or do you think that the Lord actually does answer prayer?

Have you ever analyzed your life to see if truly the Lord remains faithful to you as He commands you to be to Him? Do you look for answers to your prayers, even if they are hidden and not easily seen or thought of as answers at all?

I am just wondering how people really feel about prayer in general, not so much about their personal theology.

I used to believe that since God knows all that prayer wasnt really anything He really 'needed'...and I suppose He doesnt, but seeing what I have seen happen thru prayer Im a firm believer in it now.

Ive seen very clear and very quick responses to prayer that because of the manner in which things occurred it was pretty impossible to explain it away....in many cases the person being prayed for had no clue that anyone was even praying, so its not like they would have known to put up some act or anything, not that anyone I know would even do such a thing.

One case involved me and my wife.
I had been in the most horrible pain for about 10 days. It was some nerve thing so not even pain relievers were even making a dent in it. It wasnt throbbing or coming and going but was the most ruthless, unyeilding pain since my AIP attack that Ive had.
It was on the evening of the 10th day and I got up to go to the restroom during the night. I remember contemplating going to the ER because I just couldnt take it much longer.
So Ive finished in the restroom, it about 4 am, head back to the bedroom and start to lie down and notice that the pain was gone. I mean completely gone....like it had never been there kind of gone.

Really quietly I remember saying 'huh'....
My wife is there in the dark, my eyes finally were adjusting so I could see her there lying down wide awake looking at me. She says 'what ?"
I said the pain is gone....just....gone.
She gets a big grin and told me that when I got up she thought I was getting up because of the pain so she started praying while I was up.

So thats pretty good as far as Im concerned, right?

Well, Im on a forum the next day and Im really happy about this and Im telling everyone how this had went down and how God really answered her prayer.
But a gent in there was a bit upset because hed been in pain for a number of years and his wife prayed and apparently he never got any real relief.
So when the wife came home from work I got curious and asked her to pray with me for this man.
The next day the man came back in and said that for the first night in YEARS he was actually able to lay down and get a good nights sleep because the pain had really let up.

I have no clue why some folks prayers might do more than others...what I do know is that these little incidents that have happened around me over the last half decade since I met my wife have proven to me that prayer does work in many cases....Im just not understanding why it does for one person and not another....only God knows the answer to that one, I suppose....

 

[daydreamergurl15]

Yes! It is my lifeline to Him and I've seen what He's done through prayer.

 

[ghs1994]

How many times have you prayed and prayed that God help you out in a particular situation?

Do you just pray so that maybe you will just keep hope alive for yourself, or do you think that the Lord actually does answer prayer?

Have you ever analyzed your life to see if truly the Lord remains faithful to you as He commands you to be to Him? Do you look for answers to your prayers, even if they are hidden and not easily seen or thought of as answers at all?

I am just wondering how people really feel about prayer in general, not so much about their personal theology.

I believe God answers prayer because James has stated in his epistle that God answers prayers.

However, I too have often wondered why I even pray at all. I do believe God answers prayers because He says He does and there is plenty of evidence of prayers being answered in the scriptures and in my own life.

I think in the past I've misunderstood prayer. Prayer is not about us, it's about communion w/ God. Prayer is not asking for a bunch of things we want or hope for to go our way. Prayer is about praise, admiration, respect, love, thanksgiving, supplication, etc. It's not about prayers being answered; prayer is communion w/ God.

Once I understood that, my prayer life changed and my relationship w/ Him grew into a better understanding of what God desires from us. We always are asking instead of looking to give.

 

[god's_pawn]

When I pray coincidences happen, and when I do not, they don’t." -Archbishop William Temple

hm, i personally don't believe in coincidences and consequently the statement given as well...

 

[ebia]

hm, i personally don't believe in coincidences and consequently the statement given as well...

I think you've missed Archbishop Temple's point.

 

[god's_pawn]

I think you've missed Archbishop Temple's point.

mm, good point. i got it now thanks

 

[elephunky]

God does answer prayers, just sometimes not with the answer we want. And it also depends on the motive behind that prayer.

I personally find praying a lil wierd.

 

[Aibrean]

If it's in his will. Sometimes he will answer just not right away. It won't be revealed for some time.

 

[MicroIdiot]

The nature of prayer is mysterious, much like other aspects of the faith.

Something I've been coming to realize is that this world is screwed, so to speak. In that sense, prayer is bittersweet because it's not worth hoping for anything other than Jesus coming back asap to restore the Creation and its fullness -- which WILL happen. Until then, it's going to be a hard life.

 

[Poverello78]

Prayer, however answered, is meant to build our personal faith in God. It is wise to understand that when we pray for something, the outcome must necessarily be left in God's hands. If we're willing to accept one answer and not another, we are essentially saying that we not only don't trust God, but that we believe we know more and better than Him.