Are Prayers Ever Really Answered?

[PostScript]

If prayers are really ever answered and anything more than mere coincidence, how can we explain so many more unanswered prayers than answered prayers? Is there any proof that they are ever really answered?

[Silvertusk]

If prayers are really ever answered and anything more than mere coincidence, how can we explain so many more unanswered prayers than answered prayers? Is there any proof that they are ever really answered?

All prayers are answered. Sometimes the answer is no. We do not have God's eternal view on all situations and so must be satisfied that even though it sometimes does not feel like it - he is doing what is best for us.

Silvertusk.

[jlay]

Every 'prayer' is answered.

Most of what we consider prayer is no such thing.

[CeT-To]

What do you mean, Jlay?

[jlay]

God hears prayer. There is ample scriptural evidence to support it. That doesn't mean what someone does, "bow their head and speak is prayer."
Muslims pray, at least they think they pray. But they might as well be yodeling.

[La Volpe]

People ask this a lot in their Christian life and the answer is yes. Every prayer get's answered. Sometimes though the answer is a no. Sometimes God answers prayers in a different way though. For instance if someone prayers for patience does God give them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? God works in mysterious ways with prayer but yes they are always answered.

[StMonicaGuideMe]

"Therefore do not become foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is, so that by doing it you may receive the promise".

God does everything in our lives, whether directly or indirectly, by His Supreme wisdom, even what appear to us as the bad things. God can give us things and He can also take them away. To take things away in life, like our job perhaps or something dear to us, while difficult to handle, will allow us to remove ourselves spiritually from this world, for He warns us not to be too attached. In His wisdom, He can see that particular thing that was taken from us could have lead us down a path further from Him in the future, and in fact, is an act of love and mercy by preventing us from experiencing separation from Him. Think of it this way. You have a friend at your house for a party and they've been drinking heavily. You know, in your soberness, that they're not capable of driving themselves home safely. They may grumble and groan as you take their keys away. They may even call you a terrible friend in their drunkenness, or make a fuss. But you know that their safety is more important, and even though they're upset, what you're doing for them is ultimately out of concern and love. And, most of the time in those situations, when your friend sobers up, they will thank you for preventing them from doing what they wanted to do.

That's what faith is. If we pray and pray and pray to get our job back, for example, but we do not, we shouldn't assume God didn't listen. Instead, we should have faith that He knows what's best for us, and in His mercy, potentially prevented something from happening that may have pulled us away from Him. This can happen as a result of simply asking Him once "never let me be away from you". If we meant it, we should expect Him to intervene in our lives, even if it's through the "bad" things.

I recommend the small booklet "Trustful Surrender to Divine Providence" to help you even more with this question God bless you!