Why doesn't prayer work?

StarBright · Feb 21, 2013

The Bible gives possible reasons for prayers going unanswered, including unforgiveness towards others, and wrong motives in what you're praying for. The first thing you need to do is make sure you're on good terms with God. If you are, then you know He's hearing your prayers, and if He isn't responding in the way you want, then there's a good reason for it. God doesn't withhold from us just for the heck of it, or for His own amusement. If He's making you wait, there's a reason. If He's telling you no, there's a reason. Do you trust Him or not?

I know this is all easier said than done. Trust me, I struggle with this myself. I think all Christians do. But in the end it really is that simple.

znr · Feb 21, 2013

I bet your problem is your tongue, not God. In almost every post you state you're a failure. You're putting yourself down. The truth is you're not a failure. God says you're not a failure. But you're free to disagree.

Strider1002 · Feb 21, 2013

Blind post: a "successful" prayer does not necessarily conclude with God just dropping that thing you asked for right in front of you. Say your job is 50 miles away and you don't have a car. You pray, "God, please give me a car so I can get to work." You look outside and there's no shiny new car with your name on it. Failure? No. Because God may provide a co-worker or a relative who can give you a ride. He may provide public transportation. He may provide the money to take a cab. There are any number of ways in which God can address your prayers. And sometimes He asks you to put in some effort to make it work as well.

Ark100 · Feb 21, 2013

When you pray, believe
Stop comparing yourself to others, you are unique and different to everyone else. so stop comparing them to you. God really wants you to not look at others, just focus on Him and believe in Him
If what you asked for didnt happen immediately, be patient and dont stop asking n thanking God.
Sometimes God tests His children as well. You have to stand firm at all times an keep at positive attitude
Dont go with THE crowd. You are you and should go to God as you, not about others or what they have or have not

seashale76 · Feb 21, 2013

darktipper said:
Everytime I pray for something nothing happens. Other people I know pray and their prayers get answered. I am falling behind and failing at life when it comes to my peers and relatives. I think that I waste my time praying at night.

Perhaps your perception of prayer is the real problem here, and not that prayer doesn't work.

Extremely helpful prayer resources (the first one addresses what prayer actually is):
P r a y e r
Let us

xxxxxxtra · Feb 22, 2013

Well if you are using them as a measuring rod. Then yes you are failing.. But if you use the standard that is set for all christians then no.. Jesus is the standard.. If you believe in Gods call of election, then you know that you are right where you should be.. It is quite possible that He is using this time to humble you.. Have faith that your prayers will be answered and if you are truly one of God's elect, then your prayers will be answered.. Because His elect only want what He would want... Blessings

theophilus40 · Feb 22, 2013

Strider1002 said:
Say your job is 50 miles away and you don't have a car. You pray, "God, please give me a car so I can get to work." You look outside and there's no shiny new car with your name on it. Failure? No. Because God may provide a co-worker or a relative who can give you a ride. He may provide public transportation. He may provide the money to take a cab.

His failure to provide transportation may be his way of telling you that he wants you in a different job.

amandatea · Feb 22, 2013

One recent example of prayer - sort of - working is last night. I just got home from work at 9:20 and the store across the street closes at 10. So I came inside, dropped off my book bag, grabbed some grocery bags and headed out to the store. I was thinking to myself, I should take my shopping cart (one of those little old lady metal carts with two wheels on the back) but I don't have time to get it out of the closet. I never learn. I had cleaned my fridge out the other night and needed to replenish my supplies (fruits and veggies and a few other things). I ended up carrying around very heavy grocery bags and was wishing I didn't have to carry them back across the street - it was very cold and I was very tired and the bags were very very heavy. I then just happened to run into the girlfriend of a coworker who I was an acquaintance of. She offered to drive me home but I brushed it off, saying I appreciated it but I just live across the road, I shouldn't need a ride. Well, we ended up meeting again in the cash line so she insisted that I let her drive me across the street.

Now, maybe that just happened, but I believe that was God helping me out a bit, mostly cause I don't really believe in coincidences.

When we make an effort to trust Him and live a holy life, God takes care of us. Sometimes He answers prayer immediately and sometimes he answers prayer a decade later. Sometimes answered prayer is a process which takes a while to come to fruition. Just have patience and trust in His power and love.

Pal Handy · Feb 22, 2013

zeener said:
I bet your problem is your tongue, not God. In almost every post you state you're a failure. You're putting yourself down. The truth is you're not a failure. God says you're not a failure. But you're free to disagree.

I agree..
We need to see ourselves as God sees us as His sons and daughters and
as such, we will give ourselves over to Him and trust Him and seek
to please our Heavenly Father and not live our lives for ourselves but for Him.

darktipper · Feb 23, 2013

zeener said:
I bet your problem is your tongue, not God. In almost every post you state you're a failure. You're putting yourself down. The truth is you're not a failure. God says you're not a failure. But you're free to disagree.

I am not sugar coating it. I am one. It is frustrating sometimes. Sometimes I wonder, when will it be my turn to be successful like my peers and relatives. Everyone brags on what they are doing or going while me on the other hand avoid outings so I will not have to lie about being a failure. I pray about it and for direction and all of that jazz and nothing comes of it. I have prayed for some success for my future. Even the ones who have done me wrong even are more successful than I am. I wish them well and all but it seems like I am stuck no matter what I try to do. Nothing but rejection and failure.

RLM0501 · Feb 23, 2013

It's not that God doesn't hear your prayers, it's the fact that your asking for it in the wrong manners and with the wrong mindset. I feel like you may be asking God for these things because you want to see yourself rise to the place your peers and relatives are at, am i correct? Also, i feel like you aren't putting your whole heart in this and just submitting yourself unto God. When i pray, I ask for God's will in all situations, and everytime i pray. If it's not God's Will, then i don't want it. I think you may need to change your outlook on these things. You are not a failure, you just aren't trying man. Give it to God and sumbit yourself unto him. I can give you a few tips on how to 'better' yourself as a Christian. If your interested PM me. Il be praying for you! God loves you and stay faithful!

Pal Handy · Feb 23, 2013

darktipper said:
I am not sugar coating it. I am one. It is frustrating sometimes. Sometimes I wonder, when will it be my turn to be successful like my peers and relatives. Everyone brags on what they are doing or going while me on the other hand avoid outings so I will not have to lie about being a failure. I pray about it and for direction and all of that jazz and nothing comes of it. I have prayed for some success for my future. Even the ones who have done me wrong even are more successful than I am. I wish them well and all but it seems like I am stuck no matter what I try to do. Nothing but rejection and failure.

Matthew 6:33
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness,
and all these things will be given to you as well.

Do Not Worry

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Trust in the Lord and commit your life to Him and He will bring about His plan for your life.

darktipper · Feb 24, 2013

RLM0501 said:
It's not that God doesn't hear your prayers, it's the fact that your asking for it in the wrong manners and with the wrong mindset. I feel like you may be asking God for these things because you want to see yourself rise to the place your peers and relatives are at, am i correct? Also, i feel like you aren't putting your whole heart in this and just submitting yourself unto God. When i pray, I ask for God's will in all situations, and everytime i pray. If it's not God's Will, then i don't want it. I think you may need to change your outlook on these things. You are not a failure, you just aren't trying man. Give it to God and sumbit yourself unto him. I can give you a few tips on how to 'better' yourself as a Christian. If your interested PM me. Il be praying for you! God loves you and stay faithful!

I just want to be doing better than where I am in life right now....

I never understood the submit yourself to GOD part. Even when I pray for his will nothing comes of it. I still thank him at the end of my prayers . Sometimes I feel better when I don't pray. That way I will not be filled with the disappointment of unanswered prayers...

Aibrean · Feb 24, 2013

Perhaps your greatest issue is you don't actually believe God will answer your prayers. I think that prayer for you is a means to test if God is actually there.

darktipper · Feb 24, 2013

Aibrean said:
Perhaps your greatest issue is you don't actually believe God will answer your prayers. I think that prayer for you is a means to test if God is actually there.

I know he is there. It feels like yu call up someone and they see that their phone is ringing and they see that it is you on the caller ID and they ignore the call. Even if I believe or when I believe when I pray.... same results.

amandatea · Feb 24, 2013

darktipper said:
I know he is there. It feels like yu call up someone and they see that their phone is ringing and they see that it is you on the caller ID and they ignore the call. Even if I believe or when I believe when I pray.... same results.

If you're leading a life pleasing to God, and you trust Him to answer prayer, He will. If you're not leading a life pleasing to God but you're asking Him for help to do so, He will.
God isn't like us. He doesn't treat us the way we treat each other (ie ignoring phone calls from someone we don't care to talk to). He loves us and loving someone means doing what is BEST for them. We MUST be patient with Him and trust that our prayers will be answered in the way that is best for us.

SkyBlade · Feb 24, 2013

darktipper said:
Everytime I pray for something nothing happens. Other people I know pray and their prayers get answered. I am falling behind and failing at life when it comes to my peers and relatives. I think that I waste my time praying at night.

Here's some light from your situation:

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:2-4, NIV)

And later in the same Book...

"As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance an have seen what The Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy." (James 5:11)

darktipper · Feb 26, 2013

For example. I can pray to be cured of an ailment(s) for years and even go to the doctor and nothing will get done especially if the doctor tells you that the ailment may be one of those things you have to live with for the rest of your lifetime.....

I have had people pray for me on certain things and nothing has happened....

It seems like my prayers are being ignored or perhaps I am not saying the right words or not on my knees when I pray.. who knows

amandatea · Feb 26, 2013

darktipper said:
For example. I can pray to be cured of an ailment(s) for years and even go to the doctor and nothing will get done especially if the doctor tells you that the ailment may be one of those things you have to live with for the rest of your lifetime.....

I have had people pray for me on certain things and nothing has happened....

It seems like my prayers are being ignored or perhaps I am not saying the right words or not on my knees when I pray.. who knows

Sometimes having those ailments can do one of a few things:
- teach us something valuable about life
- enable us to understand, and therefore help/encourage someone else with the same problem
- grow us in faith

Also, if God doesn't answer our prayers immediately, perhaps he's testing our faith. That is something else that can help others in general, perhaps through our testimony.

I really doubt God is concerned about the words you use. He's more concerned about your heart and attitude. If we feel entitled that God owes us am answered prayer, He may decide to hold back to teach you humility.

madetoworship · Feb 26, 2013

darktipper said:
For example. I can pray to be cured of an ailment(s) for years and even go to the doctor and nothing will get done especially if the doctor tells you that the ailment may be one of those things you have to live with for the rest of your lifetime.....

I have had people pray for me on certain things and nothing has happened....

It seems like my prayers are being ignored or perhaps I am not saying the right words or not on my knees when I pray.. who knows

Here's my perspective on prayer and our attitude toward God. It's shifted quite a bit since I've matured in faith. If you read Luke 15, you'll see where I'm getting this.

God The Father is eagerly waiting for His lost sons and daughters to come to faith in Him and come back home. Those that have been called and have come to faith already are helping God by looking for those lost sons and daughters. So when we pray for anything else, the perspective of God is not to say He turns a deaf ear to our problems BUT the priority is in Matthew 28. What is on God's mind is His lost sons and daughters. If we love God, we should share in His heart as an older brother/sister to those that are unsaved.

Me: "Dad, look here look here at this wonderful blessing!" or "Dad, look at me and help me out with this!"

God: "Son, of course I will help you. But do you know that your younger sister/brother is missing? How can I really rejoice when my child is still missing?"

Why doesn't prayer work?

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