God Answers All Prayers

[Awake]

Something I’ve always been a bit confused over is the mentality that God answers all prayers.

For instance, a person will pray for their friend who is sick and in the hospital. If their friend recovers, they explain this as God answering their prayers by giving life back to their friend. If not, they explain this as God choosing them to come home (to Heaven).

But isn’t it also possible that God doesn’t answer this prayer one way or the other and just lets things play out?

Let’s take a mundane example. I expect to get my newspaper every morning. When it comes, I assume that the paperboy is doing a good job. If it doesn’t come one day, I don’t blame God or say that me not getting my newspaper is part of his divine plan. Instead, I say that the paperboy probably made a mistake a skipped my house. God had nothing to do with it.

Now let’s say that I pray that I will get my newspaper tomorrow morning. At this point, many believers will say that whether or not I get my newspaper is God answering my prayer. But wouldn’t it make more sense to say that God didn’t answer one way or the other, and it was actually the paperboy that either completed his job or made a mistake?

Things are always happening to us and around us regardless of whether we ask God. So why is it that as soon as we ask God, then the very same things that are happening are suddenly considered answers from God?

 

[tobinatorstark]

God does answer all prayers and it is according to His will

 

[passus]

What is meant by “God answers all prayers” is not necessarily that God answers how we want Him to. If I pray for a sick friend’s healing and that friend then dies, that doesn’t mean God didn’t answer my prayer. He did–but He chose a different answer than the one I prayed for.

 

[Awake]

What is meant by “God answers all prayers” is not necessarily that God answers how we want Him to. If I pray for a sick friend’s healing and that friend then dies, that doesn’t mean God didn’t answer my prayer. He did–but He chose a different answer than the one I prayed for.

Then how do you know what the answer is?

 

[BRB1]

In Book of John, Christ repeately states he will answer any prayer. However, other scriptures teach that sometimes it takes fasting & prayer. Finally, Christ also taught us to pray for the Lord’s will to be done here on Earth.

So, if our prayers aren’t answered the way or in the timeframe we expected … we either need to learn the power of fasting, or to pray more in line with God’s will.

 

[thistle]

Something I’ve always been a bit confused over is the mentality that God answers all prayers.

For instance, a person will pray for their friend who is sick and in the hospital. If their friend recovers, they explain this as God answering their prayers by giving life back to their friend. If not, they explain this as God choosing them to come home (to Heaven).

But isn’t it also possible that God doesn’t answer this prayer one way or the other and just lets things play out?

Let’s take a mundane example. I expect to get my newspaper every morning. When it comes, I assume that the paperboy is doing a good job. If it doesn’t come one day, I don’t blame God or say that me not getting my newspaper is part of his divine plan. Instead, I say that the paperboy probably made a mistake a skipped my house. God had nothing to do with it.

Now let’s say that I pray that I will get my newspaper tomorrow morning. At this point, many believers will say that whether or not I get my newspaper is God answering my prayer. But wouldn’t it make more sense to say that God didn’t answer one way or the other, and it was actually the paperboy that either completed his job or made a mistake?

Things are always happening to us and around us regardless of whether we ask God. So why is it that as soon as we ask God, then the very same things that are happening are suddenly considered answers from God?

In another thread you said you don’t believe in God so why ask if he answers prayers or not?

 

[Fidelis]

In another thread you said you don’t believe in God so why ask if he answers prayers or not?

That’s right. Before asking questions about a god you don’t know exists, perhaps you should ask that question first.

 

[Awake]

In another thread you said you don’t believe in God so why ask if he answers prayers or not?

What thread did I say I don’t believe in God? (I may very well have said that, but I’m curious to know where you got that from.)

 

[Awake]

That’s right. Before asking questions about a god you don’t know exists, perhaps you should ask that question first.

I’ve always been asking that question. The response I get from others is to pray about it. This leads to the relevant question I have posed above.

 

[ziapueblo]

When praying, we do not always get what we “asked” for, but we always get what we need

 

[Awake]

God does answer all prayers and it is according to His will

What is meant by “God answers all prayers” is not necessarily that God answers how we want Him to.

When praying, we do not always get what we “asked” for, but we always get what we need

I know these are all popular cliches, but they don’t really answer the question.

 

[thistle]

What thread did I say I don’t believe in God? (I may very well have said that, but I’m curious to know where you got that from.)

In the thread Being a Good Person I quote your words:

“I’m not rejecting God. How can I reject somebody when I don’t even know if they exist?”

 

[Awake]

In the thread Being a Good Person I quote your words:

“I’m not rejecting God. How can I reject somebody when I don’t even know if they exist?”

I said that I don’t know.

 

[JeanneH]

Hi

God does answer all prayers and it is according to His will

“according to His will” God’s loop hole.

I have given up praying for things. I believe that God is going to do what He will no matter if I pray or not. I think the only prayer for me is to pray to “accept” Gods will whatever that may be.

Jeanne

 

[Red_Beard]

But isn’t it also possible that God doesn’t answer this prayer one way or the other and just lets things play out?

What you have just asked about is called God’s “permissive will.” yes, God has created and designed the entire universe to work a certain way, and is the ultimate source for everything. God’s permissive will is when things run they way He designed them. The virus of the “common cold” behaves a certain way, Tectonic Plates behave a certain way, the uneven heating and cooling of the earth behave a certain way.

The person who is sick and in the hospital is responding accordingly to some illness. Their family is praying for a full and speedy recovery. If there is some chance that recovery is possible, then it is fair to say that if they recover, God was not acting directly to make them well. If however they recover when there is no chance, and no human intervention is possible, then it is fair to say that God acted directly. Prayers were answered.

If the person dies, God was, most likely, not acting directly but permitting the illness to “play out.”

Things are always happening to us and around us regardless of whether we ask God. So why is it that as soon as we ask God, then the very same things that are happening are suddenly considered answers from God?

Now apply this in reverse. Every illness, earthquake, drought, or hardship of any kind, is, most likely, not God acting directly nor Him turning a blind eye. It is His permissive will in action.

All this being said, our prayers should always be for God’s will to be done and for us to be to live according to His will.

God bless,
Red Beard

 

[passus]

Then how do you know what the answer is?

Well, I think God’s response to our prayer is certainly evident depending on whether or not we “get” what we prayed for.

Sometimes though, God answers our prayers in unexpected ways. It’s not just a matter of getting what we asked for but it’s a matter of our needs (which God surely knows and provides for) and how God satisfies them.

Recognizing God’s answers to our prayer requires listening. Sometimes we see God’s responses only in hindsight and sometimes the ears of our heart are muffled by our own interests or things that are foreign to God.

The closer we are to Him, the better we’ll hear.

 

[Awake]

What you have just asked about is called God’s “permissive will.” yes, God has created and designed the entire universe to work a certain way, and is the ultimate source for everything. God’s permissive will is when things run they way He designed them. The virus of the “common cold” behaves a certain way, Tectonic Plates behave a certain way, the uneven heating and cooling of the earth behave a certain way.

The person who is sick and in the hospital is responding accordingly to some illness. Their family is praying for a full and speedy recovery. If there is some chance that recovery is possible, then it is fair to say that if they recover, God was not acting directly to make them well. If however they recover when there is no chance, and no human intervention is possible, then it is fair to say that God acted directly. Prayers were answered.

If the person dies, God was, most likely, not acting directly but permitting the illness to “play out.”

Now apply this in reverse. Every illness, earthquake, drought, or hardship of any kind, is, most likely, not God acting directly nor Him turning a blind eye. It is His permissive will in action.

All this being said, our prayers should always be for God’s will to be done and for us to be to live according to His will.

God bless,
Red Beard

Thank you, that was a good answer.