Why doesn't God answer my prayers?

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Hey everyone. The Bible says that if we ask for something to God in faith and do not doubt we will receive it. But the thing is, I have tried that before and my prayer was not answered. Why is this? Here are the verses I am talking about:

"Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
(Matthew 7:7-11 RSV-CE)

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
(Mark 11:24 RSV-CE)

Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; if you ask anything in my name, I will do it.
(John 14:13-14 RSV-CE)

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.
(John 15:7 RSV-CE)

Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.
(1 John 3:21-22 RSV-CE)

And this is the confidence which we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests made of him.
(1 John 5:14-15 RSV-CE)

Please help. Thank you.
 
Holly3278 said:
Hey everyone. The Bible says that if we ask for something to God in faith and do not doubt we will receive it. But the thing is,** I have tried that before and my prayer was not answered. Why is this?** Here are the verses I am talking about:

"Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
(Matthew 7:7-11 RSV-CE)

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
(Mark 11:24 RSV-CE)

Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; if you ask anything in my name, I will do it.
(John 14:13-14 RSV-CE)

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.
(John 15:7 RSV-CE)

Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.
(1 John 3:21-22 RSV-CE)

And this is the confidence which we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests made of him.
(1 John 5:14-15 RSV-CE)

Please help. Thank you.
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Notice that in every passage you quoted there is a “conditional” if. Perhaps the last is the clearest although the others essentially mean the same. If you ask “according to his will” then your requests will be granted.

The whole point of prayer is to align our wills to God’s will. Jesus said his “food” is to do the will of his father. What is meant is that when our will is grounded in God’s will for us we are truly free and fulfilled. When our will is discordant with God’s will we are less free and less our true selves. The point of prayer is not to receive “things” but to receive God who is the fulfillment of all things.

Prayer is a kind of exercise in tuning our wills to God’s. By coming to know our own desire for things and why we desire those things, in prayer with the “mind of Christ,” we come to know ourselves better either in contrast to or in correspondence with God’s will, so that we can deepen who we are (our will and identity) in the source of all reality, God.
 
"…he fell on his face and prayed, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me…” The answer was NO.
 
Peter_Plato said:
Notice that in every passage you quoted there is a “conditional” if. Perhaps the last is the clearest although the others essentially mean the same. If you ask “according to his will” then your requests will be granted.

The whole point of prayer is to align our wills to God’s will. Jesus said his “food” is to do the will of his father. What is meant is that when our will is grounded in God’s will for us we are truly free and fulfilled. When our will is discordant with God’s will we are less free and less our true selves. The point of prayer is not to receive “things” but to receive God who is the fulfillment of all things.

Prayer is a kind of exercise in tuning our wills to God’s. By coming to know our own desire for things and why we desire those things, in prayer with the “mind of Christ,” we come to know ourselves better either in contrast to or in correspondence with God’s will, so that we can deepen who we are (our will and identity) in the source of all reality, God.
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👍👍 Great Answer…

My response to the OP was going to simply be -
How do you know the prayer wasn’t answered?

sometimes - maybe even often times - we are not properly disposed to either hear or accept the answer, this does not mean it was not answered…

Peace
James
 
He may not answer them in the way you want him to…

“Yes.”
“No.”
“I have something better in mind…but you will have to wait…”
 
Good question, key scriptures quoted.

ANYTHING clearly doesn’t include EVERYTHING.
For example…praying that a friend or that we recover from a cancer or severe illness can’t always be granted us, for obvious reasons. If God answered all those prayers …we would never die.

Give us some examples of things you prayed for that didn’t get answered…
 
Peter_Plato said:
Prayer is a kind of exercise in tuning our wills to God’s. By coming to know our own desire for things and why we desire those things, in prayer with the “mind of Christ,” we come to know ourselves better either in contrast to or in correspondence with God’s will, so that we can deepen who we are (our will and identity) in the source of all reality, God.
Click to expand...
Exactly, this is the answer. Prayer always has this abstract, reflexive meaning.
I remember the same answer being given by a Dominican priest who was asked about the meaning of “Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ”.
 
Sometimes, God says “no.” Sometimes, He says “not yet.”

Scripture tells us to pray without ceasing. Sometimes, we don’t receive what we ask for right away. For hard cases, we alter our language to say, “God, I know you don’t want this for me, but I really want and need this.” Ultimately, we trust that God will give us what we need and recognize when He says, “no.”

For the more advance spiritual warrior, sometimes you will feel dryness in your routine, and it will feel as though none of your prayers are reaching God.

My case is unique to 12 million Americans. We have tinnitus and a horrible sound in our heads that disrupts our thoughts and our sleep. I know silence has been an indispensable part of my ability to pray, study, meditate, and sleep. Thus, I pray and ask without ceasing, “God, please grant me silence again.”

To my annoyance, some people tell me to simply deal with it, not noting that if they had a choice, they would eventually and invariably attempt to shut off or remove themselves from any noise they would consider annoying and even distressing over a longer period of time. My reaction is no different - I’d rather not hear a noise when I could instead read and study the wisdom of the ancients, in philosophy text books, and meditate on the mysteries of our Faith. I will pray and continue to ask for silence so helpful to my spiritual life. If you spare a moment for a brother who is tired from a noise resulting from damaged ear and misfiring neurons, I’d welcome a prayer from you.
 
TheRealJuliane said:
He may not answer them in the way you want him to…

“Yes.”
“No.”
“I have something better in mind…but you will have to wait…”
Click to expand...
If He does not answer them my way then as far as I am concerned He has not answered them at all.
 
red85 said:
Sometimes, God says “no.” Sometimes, He says “not yet.”

Scripture tells us to pray without ceasing. Sometimes, we don’t receive what we ask for right away. For hard cases, we alter our language to say, “God, I know you don’t want this for me, but I really want and need this.” Ultimately, we trust that God will give us what we need and recognize when He says, “no.”

For the more advance spiritual warrior, sometimes you will feel dryness in your routine, and it will feel as though none of your prayers are reaching God.

My case is unique to 12 million Americans. We have tinnitus and a horrible sound in our heads that disrupts our thoughts and our sleep. I know silence has been an indispensable part of my ability to pray, study, meditate, and sleep. Thus, I pray and ask without ceasing, “God, please grant me silence again.”

To my annoyance, some people tell me to simply deal with it, not noting that if they had a choice, they would eventually and invariably attempt to shut off or remove themselves from any noise they would consider annoying and even distressing over a longer period of time. My reaction is no different - I’d rather not hear a noise when I could instead read and study the wisdom of the ancients, in philosophy text books, and meditate on the mysteries of our Faith. I will pray and continue to ask for silence so helpful to my spiritual life. If you spare a moment for a brother who is tired from a noise resulting from damaged ear and misfiring neurons, I’d welcome a prayer from you.
Click to expand...
I’ve had tinnitus since I was a young child. I’ve learned to cope, and I’m not sure I could deal with true silence since I’ve spent most of my life with a high-pitched whine in my ears. I pray, when I think of it. I’m rather surprised no one has invented anything to fix this, but I suppose it’s because us long-termers have just adapted and gotten on with our lives. I remember clearly crying to my Mom, “Make it stop!” but of course it never did…

😦
 
God does answer our prayers, even if the answer is “no” or “not right now.” Think about it.:signofcross:
 
=Holly3278;10186447]Hey everyone. The Bible says that if we ask for something to God in faith and do not doubt we will receive it. But the thing is, I have tried that before and my prayer was not answered. Why is this? Here are the verses I am talking about:
Click to expand...
"Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For every one who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
(Matthew 7:7-11 RSV-CE)
Click to expand...
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
(Mark 11:24 RSV-CE)
Click to expand...
Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; if you ask anything in my name, I will do it.
(John 14:13-14 RSV-CE)
Click to expand...
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you.
(John 15:7 RSV-CE)
Click to expand...
Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.
(1 John 3:21-22 RSV-CE)
Click to expand...
And this is the confidence which we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests made of him.
(1 John 5:14-15 RSV-CE)
Click to expand...
Please help. Thank you.
Click to expand...
Hi Holly,

Great qyestion:)

Here are some things you want to consider:
  1. God promised and God’s DOES keep His Promises to us [CONDITIONALLY]
  2. God Can say:
    Yes
    No
    Not now [everything in God’s Time-table]
    Each of which is an answered prayer:thumbsup:
    NOT in the precise form we ask for
In making this Promise God didn’t say that He would GRANT everything we ask Him for [if He did I’d of won the Lottery many times already:D]
  1. God WILL grant only what He knows is BEST for us; most especially Best for our Souls.
  2. God’s “yes” is more likely when:
    We pray for a spiritual benefit [for ourselves or others]
We pray for others needs again spiritual help request are always granted, in Gods time and in God’s way

In prayers of Thansgiving

ASKING for a “Mate” for example; especially if YOU have already made the choice; may not be granted for the above reasons.

If on the other hand one prayers sincerily for help in avoiding this or that sin; IF we cooperate with God’s grace; it is far more likely to be answered YES!

So what we ask for has to agree with WHAT God wants for us.🙂

A Very Good practice is to end each prayers with something like:

Not my will be done dear Jesus; BUT your will be done:thumbsup:

KEEP praying!

God Bless,
Pat/Pjm

we ask for things that God KNOWS will not somehow lead uo towards sin
 
I realize that sometimes God will answer with a “no” or with a “Wait, I have something better in mind.” and I am cool with that but the verses I quoted seem to say that He will grant us our prayer for anything, no matter what it is. The only verse that does not seem to say that to me is the very last one which says it must be in accordance with His will.

That said, I have prayed at different times, sometimes I have prayed very hard, that my tic disorder would go away. I have a tic disorder which causes me to repeatedly shrug my shoulders over and over and over. There have been times when I have done it so much that I pulled muscles in my shoulder and so ended up with severe pain for a week or two. That is the main reason why I want God to heal me of it because I am afraid that I am going to end up injuring myself again and I really do not want to go through that painful process all over again. I suffer enough pain with the fibromyalgia without also having to deal with this annoying tic.
 
Just about everyone has a health issue that they would like removed. Lets recall that St. PAUL had his ’ thorn in flesh’ … that no amount of prayer could remove.

Chances are that if medications or surgery don’t fully relieve the tic, it may be your lifelong thorn-in-flesh.

Perhaps a neurological frequency stimulator … might block the synaptic junctions that are misfiring. Consult a neurologist & see.
 
zz912 said:
So God is a giant vending machine in the sky that you can pull a lever and get what you want?
Click to expand...
That’s the way I see it.

“Ask and you shall receive.”

As far I’m concerned, God has reneged on His promise. :mad:
 
Holly3278 said:
I realize that sometimes God will answer with a “no” or with a “Wait, I have something better in mind.” and I am cool with that but the verses I quoted seem to say that He will grant us our prayer for anything, no matter what it is. The only verse that does not seem to say that to me is the very last one which says it must be in accordance with His will.
Click to expand...
If you are going to add the caveat “If it is God’s will” then all prayer is rendered pointless. God is going to do whatever He wants regardless of one’s prayers.
 
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