Why doesn't God answer prayers?

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YoungCatholicGuy said:
Downloading books copyrighted by other authors,

The bible and catechism are made free.

But the ‘Jesuit guide to almost everything’ is not a free book. It is piracy to download it without paying
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That depends. If it is posted with the intentions of people to read it, with permission of the authors it is only piracy if you download it and reproduce it. The NABRE is posted on line by the American Bishops and is free for anyone to read on-line. It is copyrighted however and it is not free to copy it, download it or reproduce it in any way.

Where exactly is the Jesuit guide posted?
 
Nelka said:
Catholicism is impossible, I thought a mortal sin was something you had to have full knowledge of?
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It is. You must be aware that what you are doing is a sin, and then intentionally go ahead and do it anyway. Catholicism is not impossible. It is beautiful, inspiring and wonderful. It is also infinitely forgiving. God gave us His grace. He also gave us the sacrament of reconciliation for a reason. Even if you commit a serious sin, He will always forgive us if we are truly repentant and avail ourselves of His sacraments. These are His beautiful gifts to us. Unfortunately, there are imperfect people on earth who treat these gits as unbreakable rules and condemn those who violate them. Forgive them their zealousness and accept the gifts God has given us.

Don’t spend your life worrying about every little thing. From your posts I see you pray the Rosary regularly. You try to get to mass regularly and you’re almost obsessed with getting to confession. I’m not suggesting that you ignore these things, on the contrary, kudos to you for making a heroic effort.

But maybe you could just relax a little and do your best to arrange your family’s schedule to be able to make it to mass regularly. Maybe you don’t need to get to confession every week. The Church says at least once a year. I think more, but leave it up to you and your family to start going on a regular schedule.

Just relax, know that if you are trying, if you are faithful, God will know your heart.

God bless you in your Spiritual Journey.

I will keep you in my prayers.
 
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I have seen real clinical depression in your posts. Please bear in mind that this can be complicated, psychological, physiological, emotional. I also strongly urge you to see a counselor and get help to start to get a handle on this matter. Those going through real spiritual “dark night of the souls” are not clinically depressed, and everything you write, to me at least, suggests clinical depression. Please don’t consider your sadness and sense of defeat merely a religious issue at this point, at least not until you make a sincere effort to get good help. Remember that this is a public forum and we can’t begin to really help you.
 
God is helping you. Calm down and pray more. Stop worrying about hell. Don’t look for help only where you’re expecting it. Everything that happens to you is a form of God’s help.
 
Please, please, please make an appointment to see a mental health therapist. Your primary care physician can give you a referral. Right now you are your own worst enemy, and the situation does not seem to be improving. I very much fear that only a professional is going to be able to help you. God be with you, friend.
 
Interesting thoughts of John Climacus on discernment:

“Among beginners, discernment is real self-knowledge; among those midway along the road to perfection, it is a spiritual capacity to distinguish unfailingly between what is truly good and what in nature is opposed to the good; among the perfect, it is a knowledge resulting from divine illumination, which with its lamp can light up what is dark in others. To put the matter generally, discernment is—and is recognized to be—a solid understanding of the will of God in all times, in all places, in all things; and it is found only among those who are pure in heart, in body, in speech… Discernment is an uncorrupted conscience. It is pure perception.”
 
Nelka said:
Humility for example is something I have been praying for ten years or more, how much longer to wait for help in this area?
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Ecclesiastes 3:1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

rely on Jesus not on yourself.Luke 1:37 For with God nothing will be impossible.”humility is a virtue yes one way is to pray for it,we also need to practice it by immitating Jesus and Mother Mary.

have you tried attending a spiritual retreat?
 
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Do you have half hour for three rosaries and recite “humility” and other goodness words 100 times daily?
 
Add to faith the goodness, 2 Peter 1.5
they are virtues of faith, charity, obedience, righteous, peace, forbearance, frugality, humility; etc. God does not require many.
 
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God gets tired of being the listener and solver of all our problems. He feels abused and taken for granted. He was thinking of going on strike but changed his mind at the last minute. All he wants is more respect and someone to listen to Him for a change.
I think actually contemplation is all about listening to Him. Trying to discern where He want us to go next.
 
It’s hard to discern whether I am hearing His voice or just my own thoughts.

I need to get away from the poisonous people at work but what if He wants me to stay?
 
Nelka said:
need to get away from the poisonous people at work but what if He wants me to stay?
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I gotta be honest with you. You mightn’t be suited to working at the moment. Can you take leave for a month or so? Focus solely on your mental health and recovery journey.
 
I couldn’t afford one day off work.

The people I work with it is like a soap opera, they spend all day talking about others and slagging them off, backstabbing and crawling after management.

Some staff are okay but they are too afraid to speak out.

Even when I have a day off such as today my work consumes my every thought, I need to escape from there.
 
It sounds like everyone’s fair game where you work, not just you.
I Thessalonians 4:11 sounds like good advice for everyone in your office: “aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs.”
I used to work in an office kind of like that. I let everyone know that I didn’t talk about people.

You said you’ve prayed for humility. I’m not sure that humility can be measured that easily. God has chosen us to “be conformed to the image of his son.” (Romans 8:29) But this happens very slowly over a lifetime, and none of us will completely reach this goal.

Are you comparing yourself to one of the saints or someone else?
2 Corinthians 10:12 says it is not wise to do that. We’re all on our own path to sanctification.

I’ve been praying for you Nelka.
 
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Funny enough, I was just listening to a sermon entitled: “How to obtain anything trough prayer.”

Here is is right here:

Basically what the priest says is this: if we want to obtain anything throughout prayer, we must first pray with humility, second pray with confidence and finally pray with persevereance.

I can assure you that, based on what the priest said, what you are asking for is certainly in line with Gods will, and he absolutely will give these to you, but you need to pray with the three conditions I mentioned.
 
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