Do your prayers seem to work for some and not for others?

[MarcoPolo]

Does it seem to you, that when you make intercessory prayers for your friends or family, that it seems your prayers tend to work more for the same people? i.e. the prayers are answered in the manner you prayed for.

And in the same way, it seems the same prayers don’t seem to work for others? Sometimes I wonder if it is the person’s disposition to receive the graces I pray for them to receive. Or if God’s ways are just so mysterious to me.

Happen to you??

 

[puzzleannie]

my prayers don’t work at all for anyone. Christ works when and with whom he wills, and my prayer, even when I intercede for others, has always as its goal conformity to his will.

 

[lizaanne]

my prayers don’t work at all for anyone. Christ works when and with whom he wills, and my prayer, even when I intercede for others, has always as its goal conformity to his will.

This is an excellent answer.

Why should I be so presumptuous and arrogant to think that just because I’m praying it, that it is God’s will? Prayer doesn’t either “work” or not “work” - God is not an ATM machine we go to for withdrawals whenever we desire. Praying for acceptance of God’s will, regardless of what it might be, is far effective and healthy, in my opinion, than always asking for “things and stuff”.

Even when I pray for others, I almost always ask that God grant them the wisdom, faith, and strength to accept His will.

~Liza

 

[mangy_dog]

Does it seem to you, that when you make intercessory prayers for your friends or family, that it seems your prayers tend to work more for the same people? i.e. the prayers are answered in the manner you prayed for.

And in the same way, it seems the same prayers don’t seem to work for others? Sometimes I wonder if it is the person’s disposition to receive the graces I pray for them to receive. Or if God’s ways are just so mysterious to me.

Happen to you??

My job is to pray. Whether or not my prayers gain results that are evident to me is immaterial. Prayers are not wasted. God’s graces are shed on those people for whom we pray. Sometimes for our specific intention and sometimes for something else we never even thought of. God thought of it though! It never occured to us, but He thought of it. And so, that result I never see. My job is to pray.

Do you remember what happened to the donkey (mule) that carried Jesus into His triumphant entry into Jerusalem?

Or maybe what happened to the donkey that carried Mary and Jesus on their flight into Egypt?

The donkey did its job. What happened to it is immaterial. It accomplished its holy mission.

I am the mangy dog that eats the crumbs that fall from my Master’s table.

Pax Domini sit semper

 

[InLight247]

Do you want to get a “YES” from God every time you pray?

Here is how:
Ten Prayers GOD Always Says Yes To
• God, show me that You exist.

• God, make me an instrument.

• God, undo me in generosity.

• God, get me through this suffering.

• God, forgive me.

• God, give me peace.

• God, give me courage.

• God, give me wisdom.

• God, bring good out of this bad situation.

• God, lead me to my destiny.

Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To: Divine Answers to Life’s Most Difficult Problems by Anthony Destefano is an excellent book to read.

No, prayer is not to conform God’s will to fit my own purpose, prayer is to love God’s will so much and to pray them into reality.

 

[bpbasilphx]

God always answers prayers.

Sometimes He says, “Yes.”

Other time, “No.”

And still other times, “Wait.”

 

[Promises]

Prayers ALWAYS work. God answers all prayers - just not necessarily in ways that (we) might recognize. But there are no unanswered prayers.

 

[MarcoPolo]

If I may clarify to everyone…I am not praying for “things”. Not that that would necessarily be wrong. I am including the courage to accept God’s will in my prayers, however He chooses to answer. But don’t forget God is very clear that He wants us to tell Him what we would like as well. (I think it was Fr. Pacwa that talked about God’s Ordained and Permissive Will).

What I am saying, for instance, is that, say, I tend to pray for someone to get special graces. Like I might say, “God, please bestow on Person X and Person Y the grace of Wisdom.” And on another day I might say, “Please give Person X and Person Y more Courage.” And so on. But often it seems that I am more likely to see the effects all the time in Person X than Person Y.

I realize the effects may be invisible to me. I was merely asking if others had similar experiences. Or if anyone thinks the person’s disposition to receive grace is a factor.

 

[AngelRose81]

I think prayer always works but not necessarily in the way or in the amount of time we think it should. God has His own time and who are we to question that? So I just keep praying and let God handle it the way He sees fit.

 

[puzzleannie]

If I What I am saying, for instance, is that, say, I tend to pray for someone to get special graces. Like I might say, “God, please bestow on Person X and Person Y the grace of Wisdom.” And on another day I might say, “Please give Person X and Person Y more Courage.” And so on. But often it seems that I am more likely to see the effects all the time in Person X than Person Y.

I .

we have absolutely no way of knowing if, when and how such a prayer is answered. We have no way of knowing when God sees fit to bestow the wisdom, grace, courage etc., we have no way of knowing if, when and how the person will respond when the grace is bestowed, and absolutely no way if knowing if, in fact, God thinks they need wisdom (when that is our desire) or sees fit to bestow another grace.

God will always answer prayers on behalf of another person, but we are seldom gifted enough to pray for the right thing, for that person, which God knows but we do not.

 

[Coreopisis]

If I may clarify to everyone…I am not praying for “things”. Not that that would necessarily be wrong. I am including the courage to accept God’s will in my prayers, however He chooses to answer. But don’t forget God is very clear that He wants us to tell Him what we would like as well. (I think it was Fr. Pacwa that talked about God’s Ordained and Permissive Will).

What I am saying, for instance, is that, say, I tend to pray for someone to get special graces. Like I might say, “God, please bestow on Person X and Person Y the grace of Wisdom.” And on another day I might say, “Please give Person X and Person Y more Courage.” And so on. But often it seems that I am more likely to see the effects all the time in Person X than Person Y.

I realize the effects may be invisible to me. I was merely asking if others had similar experiences. Or if anyone thinks the person’s disposition to receive grace is a factor.

I think you’re thinking is along the right lines.

Personally, for reasons I don’t understand, in the past few months all of my prayers have been answered and sometimes instantaneously and miraculously but…I can’t prove it because no one knew what I was praying for but me and God.

Prior to this though, there were things and people I was praying for, for the past 25 years that were never answered yes or no…just silence. I went through times in this 20-25 years of frustration and irritation with God. I even stopped praying for periods of time because I felt like there was no point. But now, all of a sudden and with no warning those things I prayed for were answered after TWENTY FIVE years, and then everything snowballed. I rejoiced, thanked God and prayed for some other things and BOOM the next day they were answered.

I’ve been asking myself why this happened and there are a couple changes that I felt happened to me and I think that God was waiting for the changes within me before he would answer my prayers. One thing that changed was that I stopped looking for God’s answer if that makes any sense and I sort of decided that I would just keep praying about these things until He told me to stop. Instead I just trusted that he heard me and trusted that He would do what was best, when it was best. It took 25 years for me to do this but somehow it happened.

There were some other changes too but this was one of the first.

I think, sometimes, that He wants us to ask over and over and over again and wants us to keep praying and keep talking to Him. Just like a loving parent I think he likes to hear from us even if it is the same thing over and over again.

My suggestion is to add to your prayers each day a little prayer for yourself for wisdom and patience. You’ll find your answers too.

Love and peace,
Sarah

 

[MarcoPolo]

things I prayed for were answered after TWENTY FIVE years, and then everything snowballed. I rejoiced, thanked God and prayed for some other things and BOOM the next day they were answered.

Thank you for your pleasant story. Your faith is one of conviction! Perhaps in all this I should pray more for myself. Wisdom is a good focus.