Why don't prayers work?

[Bellicus]

Rob: The bible tells us that the prayer of the righteous is effective. And I am reading the Acts these days, and there I see that people were so desperate to see change, that they tried to touch the shadow from Peter. So I am just thinking that maybe there is someone else out there that is closer to God then me, and maybe they have the faith I don't have.

If I died today, I feel pretty sure that I would find eternal life, since I believe in Jesus and since the Holy Spirit is a seal that has been put on me, just like the Hebrews used blood from the offering lambs on their doors, when the angel of death was walking past them. I don't fear hell. What I fear is to see my life getting so miserable that I will give up, that is also why I ask God to help me.

 

[Radagast]

... For example when it comes to various illnesses, then modern medicine seem to be a far better choice then praying for healing.

Well, the availability of modern medicine may be God's way of providing healing. There's an old story that goes like this:

A man is sitting on his porch as flood waters rise. A woman floats by in a boat, asking if the man needs help. "No, thank you," says the man, "I'm trusting in the Lord." The waters rise higher, sending the man upstairs. A raft full of people floats by his second story window. "Get in," they say, "there's plenty of room." "No thanks," says the man, "I'm trusting in the Lord." The flood waters keep rising, pushing the man up to the roof. A helicopter swoops in, lowering its ladder for the man. "Thanks anyway," shouts the man, "I'm trusting in the Lord." Finally, the man is swept away in the torrent and drowns. At the gates of Heaven, the man asks God, "Why didn't you save me?" "What do you mean?'' replies God, "I sent two boats and a helicopter."

God doesn't always give us what we expect. Sometimes He "closes a door and opens a window."

 

[rob64]

If I died today, I feel pretty sure that I would find eternal life, since I believe in Jesus and since the Holy Spirit is a seal that has been put on me, just like the Hebrews used blood from the offering lambs on their doors, when the angel of death was walking past them.

Bear with me, Bellicus. I'm seriously trying to narrow down the reason your prayer seems to go unanswered.

In your answer to my question, it's clear that you are unsure whether or not you will go to heaven.

Also, there is only one answer that will be accepted.

Also, the Bible says that believing is not enough. ..."even the devils believe and tremble..."

There are many scriptures that pertain to salvation.
~ "BELIEVE IN YOUR HEART, AND CONFESS WITH YOUR MOUTH..."
~ "REPENT AND BE BAPTIZED...."
~ "THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST..."

It's not enough to believe. We should be confident of our salvation. We recognise that we are sinners. We believe in our heart that Jesus died for our sins. We accept the blood of Christ as our atonement for sin. "Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin". We repent. [This DOES NOT mean to stop sinning, as some are tought ] The definition of repent from the origional language means to; Change the way you THINK. In the case of sin, it means to change the way you think about sin. Before coming to Jesus we took pleasure in sin. It was fun. When we repent , we view sin as something we no longer want in our lives. We know we cant stop sinning, if we could, we wouldn't need Jesus. We make a decision to make Jesus our lord and master, and we confess that before men. We believe that God raised Christ from the dead, and that Christ ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God. We are baptized as an open statement, that we die to self, and are made alive in Christ.
You see, there's more to it than to just believe. That's why so many people think they are saved, but are not.
I don't know your heart. All I know, is that when I asked you the question, you said nothing of the blood of Christ being applied to your sin.
That's the only acceptable answer. The blood of Jesus Christ.

What I'm saying in a nutshell is.... If you aren't truely saved, your prayers are only bouncing off the ceiling.

 

[jbm611973]

I've prayed about a lot of things during the last years, and I have always felt that this have been thoughts I have sent to God, but returned empty. And the same things when I've asked others to pray for me or someone I want prayer for. Always just the disappointment to see nothing happen. So my conclusion have been that prayers don't work. And this is really a big hole in my faith, where I miss to see that God is actually working in my life. It really make me sad.

What I do believe is that sometimes people get help from God, but it seems to be totally random who gets the help, and the majority of those that ask for help, get no help at all. And with my usual bad luck in life, I guess that I am among those that randomly get no help. For example when it comes to various illnesses, then modern medicine seem to be a far better choice then praying for healing.

I see different kinds of explanations about why prayer don't work

1.The prayer is not always answered at once
2.You don't have enough faith
3.You pray for things that only are about satisfying personal needs
4.The days of miracles ended with the apostles
5.You need someone to put their hands on you
6.Your trouble is a "thorn" like Paul had
7.You are not as righteous as you should be

And there is probably more answers like that, but really these are no answers at all when it comes down to what God have promised trough his prophets and I see the promises are just empty words. I feel bad about writing that it is empty words, but when I see all the sheep scattered around and no one caring for them, then I wonder if I can live a whole life and just watching this and trying to close my eyes and not see it.

To give a summary: I know that God is real and I truly believe he got the power to do anything, but I can't be honest and say that anything really have changed in my life, other that that I've met Him and that I try to live close to him, because I think that is the way to heaven. So on my inside I got something good from my faith because I feel filled by the Spirit every day, but I feel my faith just get smaller and smaller the more I try to believe that anything will ever change in my life. I know that it is all my fault and I know that it is utterly selfish of me to ask God to help me with it, but I just want to good life, a life I can be happy about. I am starving to see the power of God in my life, but it just continue like it have been, with a God that is hiding from me. I want to see that I follow a living God, that is all. Is that too much to ask?

What the Lord has taught me is until I totally denied myself in everything, he couldnt' work in me....I thought if I prayed harder, read the Bible more, did more works , he would show himself to me , instead I was getting more. dissappointed with myself and with him. He finally showed me, it's not what you can do for me but what I can do for you. That's when I gave him all. I asked him to purify my heart and to make all my motives pure and all to his glory. I gave up my own will and live in his will everdyday. In otherwords the fleshly, worldly you has to die in order for the Lord to have POWER in your life. I hope this helps you. God Bless!!

 

[Bellicus]

All these answers haven't really led me anywhere, there only seem to be a lot of explanations of why prayers don't work. And like I said in the first post: I know about all these explanations already, and they don't make sense to me.

But there is one thing that seem to get repeated, about how I should follow Gods will and all that, so since there is so many people saying this, I can't put myself above all that, and I guess I will just have to try to learn how I better can do what God want me to do.

It's always the same really, when I try to figure out prayers. After a while I just give up about it, and I don't really learn anything. But I've learned that there seem to be a deeply rooted doubt in the Christian community, about prayers. The most common opinion seem to be that there really is no point in praying, and then justifying it with a lot of complicated stuff that got no root in the scripture.

 

[Elijah2]

Well, that didn't help me much Elijah. Do you mean that I should feel satisfied with "I have too little faith, so I just have to live without seeing anything from God"?

No mate, I didn't say that. And as sad as it is we have discussed this many times on other forums, and it appears that you are still missing the point.

It's all about "praying amiss", James 4:3.

Well, I say this again that I have said before to you:

When Christians claim that they had not received an answer to their prayers (Matt. 7:7), we respond by suggesting that they were praying for the wrong things. Instead of praying for their sinful desires, that they need to pray for GOD's WILL and PURPOSE in their life.

Many times our Lord Jesus Christ does not supply the person's desire because HE knows it will not benefit them (Phil. 4:19).

Our Lord Jesus Christ isn't obliged to answer our prayers, and HE will not act in ways that are contrary to His Will, even though HE is besieged by repetitious, fervent prayers.

When we pray to seek further our own personal desires, then we are "asking amiss" (Matt. 6:33).

In pray our Lord Jesus CHrist doesn't bow to our will, instead we submit to His Will.

Be blessed in Jesus' Name.

 

[Elijah2]

All these answers haven't really led me anywhere, there only seem to be a lot of explanations of why prayers don't work. And like I said in the first post: I know about all these explanations already, and they don't make sense to me.

But there is one thing that seem to get repeated, about how I should follow Gods will and all that, so since there is so many people saying this, I can't put myself above all that, and I guess I will just have to try to learn how I better can do what God want me to do.

It's always the same really, when I try to figure out prayers. After a while I just give up about it, and I don't really learn anything. But I've learned that there seem to be a deeply rooted doubt in the Christian community, about prayers. The most common opinion seem to be that there really is no point in praying, and then justifying it with a lot of complicated stuff that got no root in the scripture.

Mate, we all go through this debate with ourselves.

When we pray from our heart, and we know in our heart that we will receive our answer, then that is faith.

We may not get the answer now, but may be six weeks later, six months later, six years later.

But, the fundamental of all prayer is that we ask with our SPIRITUAL MIND, our HEART, not our carnal mind, our brain. Our carnal mind is the area of operations of Satan and his forces.

Be blessed in Jesus' Name.

 

[Snakeking]

I'm sorry to hear about your struggle with faith. I know how it feels my friend I have lost alot in my life and my have bad news coming about my life but I know that od has a purpose for everything and sometimes it's the prayers that are not answered that we will be thankful for later. God's reasoning is beyond the flesh. It is our spirit that will go on. God tests us, sometimes harshly but if our faith holds strong we will reap the greatest reward. Meanwile, I will pray for you.

 

[Mack7]

Praise God! I have a testimony I would like to share. I accepted The Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Saviour in 1987 around the age of 21. Going to church and struggling with my faith and spirituality over the years. Believing in God and taking advantage of the grace I did not fully understand. It was about 3 years ago when I fully began to reap the consequences of the sins that I have been sowing over the years. I have a wife and children and because of my benevolence and ignorance to the many warnings that God tried to place before my eyes over the years, the enticement of the devil seemed more inviting.

I had no idea how serious my situation was. Satan spent years of planning my entrapment. Cunning, deceitful lies. Whispering half truths about God's love for me and how He could not possibly get angry or punish someone He truly loved. So I took the bait. Satan's master plan took form in a woman beginning in 1994 in whom I carefully crafted within my own imagination and fantasies. Soon she actually appeared. Never complaining, always conforming to what I wanted in a woman. I thought to myself. At last!!! Never once considering my wife and at this time a son around 10 and a daughter 3. This "having my cake and eating it to" scenario went on and on quite comfortably might I add. Or so I thought, what could go wrong?

11 years later it all came crashing down upon me like a terrible thunderstorm, filled with lightning. In the span of months I was losing my family, about to fight for child custody, seperation from those who I truly loved because of satan's lies and my infidelity. Satan used clever clairvoyants from all over the world, Spain, Germany, France to aid in his attempt to bring me down. They were writing letters to my wife telling her I was putting bad luck spells on her. That I was bringing her physical and mental pain. They were sending her objects to touch and send back to them and she was developing pains all over her body. They described her inner feelings, members of her family. You would have to know her personally to know the things they were writing to her about. It was frightening.

These letters began to flow like rain but I never knew because she was going to the mailbox before I got home from work and keeping these letters to herself. Why were things getting worse for me? I had no idea how the enemy was setting me up due to my selfishness. Destroying my family. Trying to destroy me. At last I knew I had ran out of hope. Surrounded by demons tormenting my mind I began to cry out to God. I told no one else about my prayer of repentence. Just God and only God. I cried to God for help out of desperation. I knew no one else could help me if God couldn't. My wife did not want to reconcile. Love turned to hate from years of pain.

I was sitting at home on my couch one evening. Alone. My wife would come in late every night with the kids, avoiding me. Trying to spend as little time at home as possible. On this night I heard in my mind which sounded like the voice of God's Holy Spirit saying, "If you want a way out of this....stop what you are doing and get up and follow me." Because my mind was on losing my family at this time and I was contemplating possibly hurting her bad and even thoughts of suicide, I knew this voice wasn't mine. I heard it again the same calm voice. At this moment I said Lord, if this is you, what must I do?

I prayed to God saying Father, I am losing my mind, the guilt, the pain of how I let the devil get me to this point to lose everything that I love and then wanting to hurt my wife, please, forgive me. Suddenly it was like a veil was lifted from my eyes at that very moment and everything I had done up to this point was revealed to me from God. The sin, the filth, the lies, the clairvoyant letters etc. I got even more depressed.

But behold, the very and I mean the very next day after the prayer and remember, I told no one except God my plea. A letter from a church called Saint Matthew's based out of Tulsa, Ok, wrote to me, confirming what I had prayed to God about that yesterday. Giving me detailed instructions on what they believed God told them in the Spirit what I must do and the steps I needed to take. Glory to God! I am not making this up. Most of all, the letter indicated that God had heard my prayer and that He loved me all the more. I kept praying and crying out to God without CEASING. My faith however, still minimized because of my situation.

The church letters started flowing and contained many scriptures from the Bible pertaining to God's love and help for me. Nothing had changed His love for me. His grace had been sufficient. Although the change was not overnight, God did answer and there is much more I could write. Let's just say that as I am writing this to you sincerely, the clairvoyant letters are no more and because of God's grace and love my wife and kids are sleeping in our home TOGETHER, as a family. Restored and healed by the love and mercy of God! He promised me through the church letters that he would fix my problem and although I did not believe it so then, I am a living witness that prayer does work.

God does answer prayers. Nothing and I mean absolutely nothing can make me believe otherwise! It is because of God that I am here at Christian Forum, able to give this testimony to you. This is not an accident or a coincidence. Praise God. Believe in Him and nothing will be impossible to you. You have to be patient and develop trust. Wait on God's deliverence. Just think on how patient He is, in waiting for you to believe and understand that He does answer prayers. He will not abandon you. God bless. Keep praying never stop, no matter what. Amen.