How much prayer is "enough?"

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HotAirBalloon

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Hello,

Am needing some guidance on the following and would very much appreciate the thoughts and wisdom of those kind enough to take time to reply.

Can you please give some guidance on this question: what point do we stop praying for someone and “trust” that God has heard the prayer?

Ie - for example, if you are praying for the conversion of someone you love dearly, when do you know if you’ve prayed “enough?”

Especially when the situation appears very hopeless?

With many thanks,

HotAirBallon
 
HotAirBalloon asks : "what point do we stop praying for someone and “trust” that God has heard the prayer? . . .for example, if you are praying for the conversion of someone you love dearly, when do you know if you’ve prayed “enough?” Especially when the situation appears very hopeless?"

First, what is the reason for Prayer?
  1. Part of it is to talk to God about things you are concerned about (for Comfort)
  2. Another part is giving Honor to God.
  3. And, in this instance, part of it is to “convince” God to perform a “Miracle” for you.
  4. other reasons.
With these different objectives in mind, you should investigate, within your Heart, WHY you are Praying to God (besides JUST wanting a single outcome).

If the ONLY objective you have (for your Prayers) is to have God convert a person, then I would say, that a few months of Daily Prayer is more-than-Adequate for the task.

However, if you are also inspired by talking to God to feel Comfort about this situation, then I would say that you should keep your Prayers up for Years.

And, if you are Happy to give Honor to God, then maybe you should keep Praying for the rest of that Loved One’s life.

In my opinion, God is happy that you are Praying to Him.
And, that (even if you don’t receive the Exact Outcome you are looking for), God may be doing OTHER things in your Life to help.
In others words, think about all of your relationships … and then think about how one (or more) of them might be better off because of your Prayers for that person to convert.

Prayers to God earn “Merit”; and Merit will reduce any Time you may spend in Purgatory (Church policy says so).
So, the worst that can happen if you Pray a lot is a better Life in the Next Life.
 
Can you please give some guidance on this question: what point do we stop praying for someone and “trust” that God has heard the prayer?
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That is a tough question to answer, one that I sometimes wonder about. I once prayed the Divine Mercy Chaplet for six hours straight for healing of a very sick person. It was not answered, and he died.

On another occasion, I prayed the Chaplet just a few times for this man’s wife who was comatose, and she survived and is healthy today. However, in this prayer, I did have a sense as I prayed that she was going to be alright, and it proved to be true.

In a prayer meeting for someone with cancer, the entire group was praying for healing, but I had a check in my spirit and could not enter into heartfelt prayer. This person died, also.

It takes a lot of discerning to know how long to pray, especially as you said, when it seems hopeless. God helped me to understand that no prayer is unheard, but sometimes we just need to put them in the bank, and when the moment is right, God will use the entire bank of prayers in one big sweeping moment for that intention. This too, was something I saw fulfilled for someone I prayed for, for years and years and years.

I hope this helps.
 
When I pray for others intentions I do not stop no matter how long it takes to pray for them each day. I answer prayer intentions here in the prayer intentions forum and have prayed for some intentions for years…but prayers are always answered. Prayer along with faith.

When we pray we do not only pray to ask of something from God we pray to thank Him and worship Him and in that we can never pray enough.

Many of us are praying for family members to come back to the faith and to change their behaviour/attitude. God is working on them but they have to want to answer that call.

Your prayer life with God is your personal relationship only you will know the answer to your question.

1 Thessalonians 5:17
Pray without ceasing,

Romans 12:12
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Matthew 6:6
But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Ephesians 6:18
Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

Matthew 21:22
And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

Romans 8:26
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

Jeremiah 33:3
Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.
 
I prayed for my husband to stop smoking for 36 years.He went on the patch and has stopped this year.I never thought that prayer would be answered but it was!Some prayers are answered some aren’t only God knows why.Some prayers take a very long time.Keep praying and never stop.
 
RosaryMama said:
I prayed for my husband to stop smoking for 36 years.He went on the patch and has stopped this year.I never thought that prayer would be answered but it was!Some prayers are answered some aren’t only God knows why.Some prayers take a very long time.Keep praying and never stop.
Click to expand...
That is the mystery. I’m presently praying for a situation where God helped me understand clearly that there would be deliverance, yet I keep praying it may happen soon. How long is “soon?” Abraham waited 25 years for his son, Isaac, after he was given the promise by God. It is easy to question whether or not we heard the message correctly? I often wonder why God speaks so far in advance of the promise.
 
When I pray (which is not a long period at a time bc I am a SAHM) I always remember that God does things in His Time!
 
To those who have answered - Sirach2, RosaryMama, tbcCrawford, 4love2God and Linybaby - your thoughtfulness in answering a complete stranger brings me much comfort. Thank you!
 
God hears all our prayers.

There are some things that I continue to pray for, repeatedly.

There are some things that I prayed for one time, and placed it thereafter in God’s hands.

I have had answered prayers in both circumstances, that is, the answers that I was wanting.
 
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