Why doesn't God answer my prayers?

[TimothyH]

Some of the verses cited in the original post were addressed by Jesus to the leaders of the Church.

The verse from the Gospel of Mark was Jesus speaking directly to Peter. The verses from the Gospel of John were the words of Jesus speaking to the twelve apostles at the Last Supper. 1 John was a letter not to individuals but to the Church. Even the end of the Sermon on the Mount in Mattew 7 was in the context of Judaism.

We have to be aware of who is saying what, and to whom. In both these cases, Jesus is speaking to a specific audience - the leadership of the Church - and is addresssing the idea of how the prayers of his newly established Church will be answered as opposed to the how the prayer of the corrupt Jewish religious authorities were answered.

These verses have more to do with the protection of the Church by the Holy Spirit than they do with the prayer of individual Christians, and in all cases, the prayer of individual Christians cannot be divorced from the prayer of the Church. If one person prays for rain and his next door neighbor prays that it doesn’t rain, God can’t answer both. The prayer has to be united to the prayer of the Holy Father, the Bishops and the prayer of the Church.

Look at all the prayers in the Old Testament. They always involk the name of the nation of Israel or take place in the Temple. These prayers are always united to the welfare of God’s chosen people as a whole or offered in the presence of God in the Temple.

-Tim-

 

[Peter_Plato]

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.

Given God’s omniscience, omnibenevolence, omnipotence and that God is the source of all that exists, I, personally, do not have a problem with his will trumping mine. His choices for me will be infinitely better than mine ever could be.

The difficulty it seems would be in discerning his will and letting mine go, which is the entire point of prayer. Prayer is not rendered pointless by the nature of God’s will, precisely because the point of prayer is to form the kind of will that is amenable to the (name removed by moderator)ut of God’s omniscience, omnibenevolence, omnipotence and love, instead of willing based upon some lesser impulse or flawed reasoning.

 

[PJM]

=Holly3278;10187558]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.

Hi again Holly,

The ONE INFALLIBLE rule for right understanding od the Bible is:

Never-ever, can. may or does one passage void, invalidate or ovverride other passages and teavhings.

OK, this iswhat you want. BUT mt friend what does GOD want from you:shrug:

Take Up your Cross and Follow Me
Phil.2: 8 “And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross Luke.9 :23 And he said to all, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Mark.8: 34 And he called to him the multitude with his disciples, and said to them, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Luke.9: 23 And he said to all, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. ***Luke.14: 7 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple.” ***
**1Pet.4: 13 **” But rejoice in so far as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.

1Pet.5: 1, 9 “So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ as well as a partaker in the glory that is to be revealed. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experience of suffering is required of your brotherhood throughout the world.”

**Phil.1: 29 **“For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, “

2Thes.1: 5 “This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be made worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering “

Heb. 2: 10 For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through suffering"

KEEP praying but add always at the end: LORD THY WILL; not mine be done. Amen.

 

[aragonjohn1]

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.

God answers prayers in His own Way.

Hope this helps you
God bless
Merry Christmas

 

[zz912]

That’s the way I see it.

“Ask and you shall receive.”

As far I’m concerned, God has reneged on His promise.

Only because you have set your own interpretation of those verses, and if God doesn’t conform to your vision, then He is in the wrong.

Ultimately, you are not worshipping God, but a version you have crafted that you think He should be, and in effect, worshipping yourself.

Take another look at your interpretation, and consider this scenario. Two believers, one prays for God to make it rain. The other prays for it not to rain. Both prayers cannot be granted.

 

[Usagi]

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.

Lost Sheep, you obviously have strong feelings on this issue, but … do you imagine that our prayers should be able to cause God to act in a way opposed to His own will?

I do think that prayer must be efficacious in some way – either God, existing outside of time, incorporates our prayers into His act of creation without ever actually having to change His mind, or He determines that in certain cases His response will be conditional on one or more people praying. (Those actually reduce to the same thing, now that I think about it.) But even Jesus’ assurances about the efficacy of prayer can’t mean that God will go along with sinful petitions, for example. And, as others have pointed out, both Jesus and Paul received famous “no” answers to prayers of petition, so Jesus can’t have meant that we can ask literally anything and God will just do it with no (name removed by moderator)ut of His own. That would be disastrous if a human parent did it, much less God.

Usagi

 

[Lost_Sheep]

Take another look at your interpretation, and consider this scenario. Two believers, one prays for God to make it rain. The other prays for it not to rain. Both prayers cannot be granted.

If I may digress for a moment, I disagree with your analogy.

I you accept the idea that God’s power and wisdom is truly infinite, then I submit that both prayers can indeed be granted.

Think outside the box for a moment. In our feeble human intellect, we know that it is impossible for the weather to rain at the same time in the same place. But God does not have to follow our logic. He in fact COULD answer each person’s prayers simultaneously. How? I have know idea. But if you accept the concept that God can do ANYTHING, (as I do) then He can make it rain and not rain at the same time.

Now, back to topic.

 

[Lost_Sheep]

Lost Sheep, you obviously have strong feelings on this issue, but … do you imagine that our prayers should be able to cause God to act in a way opposed to His own will?

I do think that prayer must be efficacious in some way – either God, existing outside of time, incorporates our prayers into His act of creation without ever actually having to change His mind, or He determines that in certain cases His response will be conditional on one or more people praying. (Those actually reduce to the same thing, now that I think about it.) But even Jesus’ assurances about the efficacy of prayer can’t mean that God will go along with sinful petitions, for example. And, as others have pointed out, both Jesus and Paul received famous “no” answers to prayers of petition, so Jesus can’t have meant that we can ask literally anything and God will just do it with no (name removed by moderator)ut of His own. That would be disastrous if a human parent did it, much less God.

Usagi

Perhaps I didn’t mention that I really do not give a bloody damn about God’s will. I care about my will and nothing else. God is in a much better position to be flexible than I am. I am tired of being His b**ch.

Look, I’m stuck here on this Earth for reasons entirely beyond my control. This may sound a little childish, but I did not ask to be here. (And before you tell me that life is a gift from God, please tell me where I can take this gift and exchange it for a better one.

Right now I am unemployed and I have financial obligations I may not be able to meet. I had severe clinical depression and other medical problems. I have real world problems I have to deal with. I need a job and I need one NOW; not at some time in the future when God gets around to it (if indeed He ever gets off His big fat omnipotent arse to do so.)

If He wants my soul in Heaven, He’s going to have to earn it.

 

[TheRealJuliane]

Perhaps I didn’t mention that I really do not give a bloody damn about God’s will. I care about my will and nothing else. God is in a much better position to be flexible than I am. I am tired of being His b**ch.

Look, I’m stuck here on this Earth for reasons entirely beyond my control. This may sound a little childish, but I did not ask to be here. (And before you tell me that life is a gift from God, please tell me where I can take this gift and exchange it for a better one.

Right now I am unemployed and I have financial obligations I may not be able to meet. I had severe clinical depression and other medical problems. I have real world problems I have to deal with. I need a job and I need one NOW; not at some time in the future when God gets around to it (if indeed He ever gets off His big fat omnipotent arse to do so.)

If He wants my soul in Heaven, He’s going to have to earn it.

Wow. In my entire time here on CAF, I have never read such a shocking post.

:bigyikes:

I will pray for you, my friend. You need help. I honestly don’t know what to say to you.

 

[PJM]

=Lost_Sheep;10193611]Perhaps I didn’t mention that I really do not give a bloody damn about God’s will. I care about my will and nothing else. God is in a much better position to be flexible than I am. I am tired of being His b**ch.

Look, I’m stuck here on this Earth for reasons entirely beyond my control. This may sound a little childish, but I did not ask to be here. (And before you tell me that life is a gift from God, please tell me where I can take this gift and exchange it for a better one.

Right now I am unemployed and I have financial obligations I may not be able to meet. I had severe clinical depression and other medical problems. I have real world problems I have to deal with. I need a job and I need one NOW; not at some time in the future when God gets around to it (if indeed He ever gets off His big fat omnipotent arse to do so.)

If He wants my soul in Heaven, He’s going to have to earn it.

So friend; “you don’t care about God”; yet he still suffered and died for YOU

Take Up your Cross and Follow Me
Phil.2: 8 “And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross Luke.9 :23 And he said to all, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Mark.8: 34 And he called to him the multitude with his disciples, and said to them, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Luke.9: 23 And he said to all, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Luke.14: 7 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple.”

1Pet.4: 13 ” But rejoice in so far as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.

1Pet.5: 1, 9 “So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ as well as a partaker in the glory that is to be revealed. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experience of suffering is required of your brotherhood throughout the world.”

Phil.1: 29 “For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, “

2Thes.1: 5 “This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be made worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering “

Heb. 2: 10 For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through suffering.

I’ll pray for you too,

FIND GOD in your life

 

[Lost_Sheep]

So friend; “you don’t care about God”; yet he still suffered and died for YOU

Oh, please. Spare me the “He died for me” spiel. That does not impress me.

He died 2000 years before I was born. Besides, I have never seen the connection between the death of one man and “saving” the whole world from sin. If God wanted to save the world from sin, all He had to do was simply save it; no melodrama necessary.

 

[MarcoPolo]

I care about my will and nothing else.

This is the mantra of the church of satan, you know. Why are you Catholic?

If I may also add another thought to the OP. Someone mentioned Jesus praying that the cup of the cross be removed, but that God did not heed that prayer. So even if I could not come up with an answer “why” God doesn’t answer a prayer in the way that I ask, I know that His Incarnate Son showed the way first, so prayer is therefore good, even if it is not answered in the way I asked. It is not difficult to accept, of course, but the Master set the example first, and therefore it is reasonable to pray and to remain faithful even if the prayers are not answered in accord with our intentions.

 

[zz912]

Perhaps I didn’t mention that I really do not give a bloody damn about God’s will. I care about my will and nothing else. God is in a much better position to be flexible than I am. I am tired of being His b**ch.

Look, I’m stuck here on this Earth for reasons entirely beyond my control. This may sound a little childish, but I did not ask to be here. (And before you tell me that life is a gift from God, please tell me where I can take this gift and exchange it for a better one.

Right now I am unemployed and I have financial obligations I may not be able to meet. I had severe clinical depression and other medical problems. I have real world problems I have to deal with. I need a job and I need one NOW; not at some time in the future when God gets around to it (if indeed He ever gets off His big fat omnipotent arse to do so.)

If He wants my soul in Heaven, He’s going to have to earn it.

I can tell you have a lot of pain in your life right now, but for goodness sake, get a grip on yourself. Everything you have described, I am going through, and MUCH more. And there are people on this planet who are in MUCH worse situations that I am. Work to get some help for yourself for the medical problems, but also take time to reflect on how much you do have.

Now to your comments about your will vs God’s will. You exist b/c God continuously wills your existence. You need to realize that you are a toaster screaming at your Maker, complaining that He did not make you blender instead. The Maker owes nothing to you, and wanted to make a toaster to fill a specific role for Him. The toaster yells and yells that he should be a blender, and refuses to toast anything because he wants to blend. Again, get a grip.

 

[PeaceInChrist]

I am glad to see such charitable remarks from all the faithful in response to Lost Sheep Chastisement is rarely helpful to those in spiritual crisis and/or depression.

Lost Sheep, I am sorry that you are having a difficult time. I agree that sometimes life doesn’t seem like such a gift. I am sure at times even great Saints and Christ himself may have desired reprieve from its harshness. But we must press on. Pray for an end to your depression, for peace, and for the desire and ability to move onward. This life is war: we must not surrender, even after battles have been lost.

 

[fred_conty]

From God’s point of view, and unanswered prayer may have more than one purpose.
First it may be to see how much a person really wants it. For example, Jesus told us about the woman who repeatedly knocked on the king’s door until he was exasperated and finally opened it. He was telling us not to give up if it is important.

Second, an unanswered prayer is followed by the next, and the next, and the next. It may not seem at first that this is of any value, but it is. It may be that he uses this to keep us thinking about him. Many people forget all about him after their prayer is answered. And some even forget to thank him, which I believe he complained about in the ten lepers.

At Mass on sunday, when the prayers of the faithful are said after the homily, the people respond to them. Some are not responding, some looking around, and so on. I guess they may be thinking the same thing, that is, what good is it to pray for the poor in Tailand when nothing seems to change there. But although it is good to pray for the poor anywhere, it really isn’t about them, it is about us, showing chairty and love for those people. And God sees this, whether we care or whether we don’t care. Even if the prayer isn’t answered, it says something to him about ourselves.

And there are other reasons as well which may be hidden from our view that he knows what will happen if he grants them.

I would think that the best way to view an unanswered prayer is, “I love you Lord, no matter what.”

Just a thought.

 

[PJM]

=Lost_Sheep;10195612]Oh, please. Spare me the “He died for me” spiel. That does not impress me.

He died 2000 years before I was born. Besides, I have never seen the connection between the death of one man and “saving” the whole world from sin. If God wanted to save the world from sin, all He had to do was simply save it; no melodrama necessary.

A weeee bit cynical

Every man, and man alone, [humanity] can and does actaully emulated Our God.

This is done on Gods part by giving everyone [and ONLY humnaity] a package of Spiritual Gifts: a mind, intellect Freewill and Soul. And if these are used as God intendes [Mans part], BUT DOES NOT DEMAND; they can and do allow man to 1. know of god’s existence and 2. Then through grace to actually come to KNOW God Himself. Like God these giftes are Eternal

Mans part then is to FREELY choose to love or to hate God. And thereby choose for themseves heaven or hell.

Deut 30:19 “I call heaven and earth to witness this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Choose therefore life, that both thou and thy seed may live”

Wisd16:13 "For it is thou, O Lord, that hast power of life and death, and leadest down to the gates of death, and bringest back again:

Eccl. 15:18 :Before man is life and death, good and evil, that which he shall choose shall be given him:

Because God is Good and Gives to us Perfect Love; whuch he desires and seeks in return; AND which must be freewly returned by us IF it is to be perfected…

Salvation IS POSSIBLE for everyone BUT must be accomplisd exactly as He commands and Ordains,

Luke 9:23 "And he said to all: If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. … Luke 14:27 “And whosoever doth not carry his cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple”.

And Paul issues this profound warning; which is confirmed by John.

Heb. 6: 4-8 For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, [Baptized into the CC] who have tasted the heavenly gift, [Jesus: In Catholic Holy Communion] and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, [Confirmed in the Catholic Faith] and have tasted the goodness of the word [The The Fullness of Truth that ONLY the CC can teach …Mt. 16:15-19[/COLOR]] of God and the powers of the age to come,*** if they then commit apostasy, since they crucify the Son of God on their own account and hold him up to contempt. For land which has drunk the rain that often falls upon it, and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed; its end is to be burned.***

John.10: 16 “And I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one flock, one shepherd”

Rather than complain about your cross my friend; PRAY that God will assist you in carrying it:thumbsup:

Continued Blessings my friend,
PAT/ PJM

 

[Lost_Sheep]

Mans part then is to FREELY choose to love or to hate God. And thereby choose for themseves heaven or hell.

“Free will” only exists in a theoretical sense. For practical purposes, there is no such think. God may have given us this thing called “free will” but nevertheless, if we use that free will against His wishes there will be dire consequences (i.e., going to Hell).

If I held a gun to your head and said “Do as I say or I will kill you”, you have a “free will” to choose to do as I say or not. But if you don’t do as I say, you will die. Some choice.

 

[zz912]

“Free will” only exists in a theoretical sense. For practical purposes, there is no such think. God may have given us this thing called “free will” but nevertheless, if we use that free will against His wishes there will be dire consequences (i.e., going to Hell).

If I held a gun to your head and said “Do as I say or I will kill you”, you have a “free will” to choose to do as I say or not. But if you don’t do as I say, you will die. Some choice.

You have a fundamental misunderstanding of hell. Hell is the absence of God. If you reject God, God gives you your wish. The reason it is a terrible thing is that we were made to be with God, so we are missing that which we need and desire most.

And your analogy about the gun doesn’t work. If it were true, then people would be choosing Heaven and God, because that is what He wants. But many people still choose hell. So the analogy fails.

 

[PJM]

=Lost_Sheep;10202670]“Free will” only exists in a theoretical sense. For practical purposes, there is no such think. God may have given us this thing called “free will” but nevertheless, if we use that free will against His wishes there will be dire consequences (i.e., going to Hell).

If I held a gun to your head and said “Do as I say or I will kill you”, you have a “free will” to choose to do as I say or not. But if you don’t do as I say, you will die. Some choice.

My dear friend,

Your bucket of logic lookes like a bowlingball fell through the bottom

Holding a gun to someones head IS Forcing.

FREEWILL is being tempted; BUT having the ABILITY [even if lacking the necessary resolve] to say NO! to it

Of couse actiona dn choices Do have consequecnces. Go out into the rainy day with out a raincoat, and you WILL get wet. Don’t wanna get wet?

Well do go out without your raingear on a rainy day.

Its your choice NOT God’s

Deuteronomy 30:19 “I call heaven and earth to witness this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Choose therefore life, that both thou and thy seed may live”

Ecclesiasticus 15:18 “Before man is life and death, good and evil, that which he shall choose shall be given him”

Rom. 2:6 “Who will render to every man according to his works.”

Rev. 22:12 “Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to render to every man according to his works”

Rev. 20:12 “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing in the presence of the throne, and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged by those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

God Bless you my friend,

pat/PJM