How many times do you pray for something?

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Amac1

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Hi all.
If praying for something in petition, something you desperately want and need, and those prayers aren’t being answered, when do you stop?
I am in the situation of a prayer not being answered, as I’m sure we’ve all experienced quite often… It got me thinking… when do I stop praying for this? Do I continue forever?

I’m starting to accept my petition is not God’s will, and I’m having to try to come to terms with that. Or even accept that it will happen in His time. But do I stop asking for it?
Is one prayer of petition enough? Will we get a better response if the quantity of prayer is higher? Or the quality is better? Does any of it even matter?

Is simply praying fervently, just the once, enough for God to know our desires?
Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
 
I’ve been praying for my family for over three years. I pray that they come to repentance and faith in Christ. Everything will turn out for our benefit, though. God has promised us “…no good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11)

I know that God knows all about your situation and my situation. Everything will turn out for our benefit. Though it may be painful at times, the Lord promised us that He will never leave us or ignore us. Sometimes I even get mad at God for not guiding my family, but I have an obligation to not harden my heart.

Other than prayer, fasting is a good thing to do. Prayer and fasting go together like peanut butter and chocolate.
 
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Great topic. I once heard someone describe prayer very poignantly. They said that when we hear a child repeating “I love you mummy/daddy” unceasingly , when they first learn how to convey their affection for their parents, this is akin to us praying unceasingly to our Mother Mary and God the Father. They desire so deeply for us to pray to them. The Father desires for us to partake in His plans for us, through prayer.

So in answer to your question, prayer is never wasted. Keep praying, have patience and faith. Sometimes Our Lord answers our prayers by showing us a different path. Pax Christi!
 
If He is going to answer our prayers by showing us a different path, then why should we pray daily and relentlessly for the specific thing we want?

Don’t get me wrong, during my prayers for this particular intention I do acknowledge that my desire may not be God’s will. And I ask to be shown and guided as to what is meant to be. I am not specifically set on getting exactly what I want. But I just wonder when should I stop?

If I don’t feel this particular intention has been addressed in say a year, do I just keep going?
And yes I understand praying is not only for selfish means and I will continue to do so to please and show love of God. I am just wondering if there is anything to say quantity matters.
 
I think this is where your judgement matters. If you feel like, in a state of grace, you are realising that your intention is not being answered by the Lord, then a reflection on that intention may be warranted. But I feel like I am delving into spiritual director territory/you may need to get some time with a priest if at all possible dear Brother/Sister. Peace
 
Of course the parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18 would suggest that we should never give up on praying for our intentions…assuming those intentions are good and godly.
 
Amac1 said:
If He is going to answer our prayers by showing us a different path, then why should we pray daily and relentlessly for the specific thing we want?

Don’t get me wrong, during my prayers for this particular intention I do acknowledge that my desire may not be God’s will. And I ask to be shown and guided as to what is meant to be. I am not specifically set on getting exactly what I want. But I just wonder when should I stop?

If I don’t feel this particular intention has been addressed in say a year, do I just keep going?
And yes I understand praying is not only for selfish means and I will continue to do so to please and show love of God. I am just wondering if there is anything to say quantity matters.
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We continue in prayer because it affects us. When we draw near to God, He draws near to us. We want to know the will of God, and prayer will help do that because God will respond to that prayer. I would say that you should keep praying for whatever it is that you were praying for. Paul said “pray without ceasing”. He did not say “Pray for an intention once or twice”.

Furthermore, Jesus said “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7). There are three kinds of prayers mentioned here. One involves asking, which would be a basic prayer that people make, and then it talks about seeking, which I interpret to mean a regular prayer that is done more than once. Lastly, it talks about knocking. Knocking would be exactly what I do concerning my family; it’s a passionate prayer that asks God “Lord, please do this, but I want your will to be done, not necessarily mine”.

Believe me, I am struggling with a large dose of unbelief because of this very issue. The Lord knows what is best, though. It doesn’t matter what I want. He wants selfless devotion. James 4:6 says “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble”.
 
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People don’t like to hear this but in Matt 21:22 Jesus said ‘And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith’. All it takes is great faith and trust in God. So we should always look at ourselves and the merits of our petitions.
 
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