Why are prayers sometimes not answered?

[Mr. Peanut]

What is the worst GOD could say?
"No, becasue that is not your will."

Eh? I know when our will is alligned with his will his answer is always yea:


19For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea.
20For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, (so be it unto you) unto the glory of God by us. 2 Cor. 1

 

[Smoke]

There is no difference between praying to God and praying to your toaster.

Don't be silly. My toaster actually exists, and when I make my offering of bread and pray for toast, it always grants me toast.

 

[Katzpur]

"He is our perfect father, He loves us beyond our capacity to understand. He knows what is best for us. He sees th eend from the beginning. He wants us to act to gain needed experience: When He answers yes, it is to give us confidence. When He answers no, it is to prevent error. When He witholds an answer, it is to have us grow through faith in Him, obedience to His commandments, and a willingness to act on truth. We are expected to assume accountability by acting on a decision that is consistent with His teachings without prior confirmation. We are not to sit passively waiting or to murmur because the Lord has not spoken. We are to act."

Since you're specifically looking for quotes, etc., though, here's a short story that I particularly like:

This is the transcript of the ACTUAL radio conversation of a US naval ship with Canadian authorities off the coast of Newfoundland.

Canadians: Please divert your course 15 degrees the South to avoid a collision.
Americans: Recommend you divert your course 15 degrees the North to avoid a collision.
Canadians: Negative. You will have to divert your course 15 degrees to the South to avoid a collision.
Americans: This is the Captain of a US Navy ship. I say again, divert YOUR course.
Canadians: No. I say again, you divert YOUR course.
Americans: THIS IS THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS LINCOLN, THE SECOND LARGEST SHIP IN THE UNITED STATES’ ATLANTIC FLEET. WE ARE ACCOMPANIED BY THREE DESTROYERS, THREE CRUISERS AND NUMEROUS SUPPORT VESSELS. I DEMAND THAT YOU CHANGE YOUR COURSE 15 DEGREES NORTH, I SAY AGAIN, THAT’S ONE FIVE DEGREES NORTH, OR COUNTER-MEASURES WILL BE UNDERTAKEN TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THIS SHIP.
Canadians: This is a lighthouse. Your call.

I think it's sometimes hard to accept answers we get because we don't understand the entire situation as well as God does, and He doesn't often give us all of the information we'd need to really understand why He has chosen not to give us what we not only want, but what we sincerely believe would be in our best interest to have. Most of the time, He just says, "Be still, and know that I am God."

From my perspective, it's actually easier to accept an answer of "no" than it is to wait for the answer that doesn't seem to come. My husband and socialize occasionally with a couple that we really like, but who also drive us both nuts. I often joke that the Holy Ghost seems to tell Debbie whether to cook bacon for breakfast instead of sausage. In a single conversation over dinner, she'll say a half dozen times something like, "The spirit told me to..." or "I felt prompted by the Holy Ghost to..." Sometimes I just want to scream, "Well, give Him a message from me, okay? Tell him I'd like some confirmation about such and such major decision I've got to make the day after tomorrow. If He has time to tell you every move to make, see if you can convince Him to give me an answer or two." Of course I never do. My husband says that maybe I don't get as many specific answers as she does because God trusts me to be able to make my own choices and knows He has to give her instructions about every little thing she does."

The crazy thing is that I know God hears and answers my prayers, in spite of the many times I've felt I must just have a bad connection and am not being heard. I had one instance in my life where I wasn't even praying, I hadn't asked for advice or guidance or anything, and yet I got it nevertheless. I'll have to tell you about it some time, but for now I'll just say that I know for sure that I was being told that I needed to do something it hadn't even occurred to me to do. I followed the prompting and it turned out to be the best decision I've ever made in my life. Anyway, sorry for the ramble.

 

[cardero]

Eh? I know when our will is alligned with his will his answer is always yea:


19For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea.
20For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, (so be it unto you) unto the glory of God by us. 2 Cor. 1

It is not MY will that must BE done but the will and the PURPOSE of the individual BEing who has chosen a PURPOSE before incarnating into a physical existence that must BE done.

HELLO IT'S ME: An Interview With GOD
Chapter:The Purpose Of Prayer
Pg: 389

 

[cardero]

Don't be silly. My toaster actually exists, and when I make my offering of bread and pray for toast, it always grants me toast.

I should also point out to Tiberius that it is MidnightBlue's hunger that inspires him to make toast. It is also MidnightBlue's finger that depresses the lever that begins the toasting process.

Mostly, the problem with the outcome of prayers is the inactivity of the person requesting the prayer. It ALL falls back on that old adage that "if you want something to happen you may have to make it happen yourself." Prayers are not wishes; there is no such thing as Santa Claus or genies, either.

HELLO IT'S ME: An Interview With GOD
Chapter:The Purpose Of Prayer
Pg:383

Originally Posted by Mr. Peanut
Eh? I know when our will is alligned with his will his answer is always yea:

GOD may not be hungry for toast.

 

[Smoke]

It is also MidnightBlue's finger that depresses the lever that begins the toasting process.

It's important to make the offering in the prescribed manner.

 

[Hope]

Tell that to George Mueller.

Now there's a man who knew the power of prayer. :yes:

Of course, most non-Christians probably have no idea who he was, or how he relates to this discussion.

 

[Smoke]

Now there's a man who knew the power of prayer. :yes:

Of course, most non-Christians probably have no idea who he was, or how he relates to this discussion.

If God, and not people, had given George Mueller all that money, then I'd be impressed. Like if he had a magic wallet or a bottomless purse or something. People giving money to other people doesn't really seem miraculous to me.

 

[Hope]

If God, and not people, had given George Mueller all that money, then I'd be impressed. Like if he had a magic wallet or a bottomless purse or something. People giving money to other people doesn't really seem miraculous to me.

How much do you know about Mueller and the circumstances surrounding all those people giving him money?

 

[Smoke]

How much do you know about Mueller and the circumstances surrounding all those people giving him money?

What would you like me to know that you suspect I don't? That might be quicker.

 

[Hope]

What would you like me to know that you suspect I don't? That might be quicker.

You can suspect that I suspect whatever you think I suspect all you want. Suspecting gets us nowhere.

If I knew you were very familiar with Mueller then it would help me understand the kind of response you gave in regards to him. And then I could give a more informed and intelligent response in return. I'm simply trying to understand your point of view.

 

[Smoke]

I'm simply trying to understand your point of view.

I have very little regard for his religion or his missionary activities, but I think he did a lot of good with his orphanages.

 

[Hope]

I have very little regard for his religion or his missionary activities, but I think he did a lot of good with his orphanages.

Ok. That doesn't help me too much, but ok. I'll just go with what I've got.

In regards to the whole prayer thing, has it never occurred to you that God uses people to answer prayers? You mentioned what happened to Mueller wasn't a big deal because people gave him the money. I think you've missed the point.

George Mueller centered his life around prayer and absolute faith and trust in God. And God came through every single time. Often at the last second, when things looked the bleakest. And it wasn't just money God provided. It was other material needs as well. No one can tell me (or George, for that matter, if he were still alive), that every single time money or material needs (usually very specific needs) came his way, just in the nick of time, from some unexpected, unsolicited source, that it was just coincidence. Because that's an awful lot of coincidences, if you add all those times up. If it happened only a few times, one could maybe chalk it up to coincidence. But not hundreds of times.

When it comes to providing for His children's needs, God always answers prayers. Maybe not how we expect (in fact, it usually isn't how we expect it), or on our time schedule, but He always comes through. And Mueller's life demonstrated this.

I've experienced recently God's faithfulness in providing for me. I've been having financial difficulties over the last several months, due to health problems and being out of work, so I just prayed God would take care of me. On three separate occasions people gave me money, totally out of the blue. Two were total strangers. I never asked. I also had an accident involving a deer, that left my car without a driver's side window and mirror, and only a few days after it happened someone, who I just happened to meet somewhere, offered to help me out, went to a junkyard and found another window and mirror (for a great price), and installed them the same day for me. Without asking for a dime (except for the actual cost of the window and mirror). Nobody can tell me all that was just coincidence and not my Heavenly Father taking care of me.

 

[Smoke]

In regards to the whole prayer thing, has it never occurred to you that God uses people to answer prayers? You mentioned what happened to Mueller wasn't a big deal because people gave him the money. I think you've missed the point.

Believe it or not, there was a time I viewed George's experiences the same way you do now. I understand how it can be impressive if you're already disposed to be impressed. However, I don't think kindness is a miracle.

I've experienced recently God's faithfulness in providing for me. I've been having financial difficulties over the last several months, due to health problems and being out of work, so I just prayed God would take care of me. On three separate occasions people gave me money, totally out of the blue. Two were total strangers. I never asked. I also had an accident involving a deer, that left my car without a driver's side window and mirror, and only a few days after it happened someone, who I just happened to meet somewhere, offered to help me out, went to a junkyard and found another window and mirror (for a great price), and installed them the same day for me. Without asking for a dime (except for the actual cost of the window and mirror). Nobody can tell me all that was just coincidence and not my Heavenly Father taking care of me.

What do you suppose are your Heavenly Father's reasons for not, instead, giving you good health and employment, and helping you avoid that deer?

 

[Vasilisa Jade]

Oh please come on!! This is supposed to be a happy thread! I can take a lil pessimism, but please don't debate over good works and what people feel was Heavenly Father taking care of them. If you want lets make another thread in the debate section where people can post their experiences where they felt a prayer was answered, then everyone can debate over whether it was coincedence or not, or the right thing or not. We can pick apart every peice of it. I just wanted comforting things here for the most part

 

[Sunstone]

Oh please come on!! This is supposed to be a happy thread! I can take a lil pessimism, but please don't debate over good works and what people feel was Heavenly Father taking care of them. If you want lets make another thread in the debate section where people can post their experiences where they felt a prayer was answered, then everyone can debate over whether it was coincedence or not. We can pick apart every peice of it. I just wanted comforting things here for the most part

Tigress has a point, Folks. This thread is in the DIR Forum. Please do not debate the efficacy of prayer here.

 

[Vasilisa Jade]

What do you suppose are your Heavenly Father's reasons for not, instead, giving you good health and employment, and helping you avoid that deer?

Life must have trials in order for us to grow. Your success is not measured by how many times you are felled, but by how fast you get back up. Prayer and faith assist in the getting back up part, for those that use it.

 

[Smoke]

Life must have trials in order for us to grow. Your success is not measured by how many times you are felled, but by how fast you get back up. Prayer and faith assist in the getting back up part, for those that use it.

But if God bails you out of your trials, why did he send them in the first place?

 

[Hope]

But if God bails you out of your trials, why did he send them in the first place?

No pain, no gain.

 

[Vasilisa Jade]

But if God bails you out of your trials, why did he send them in the first place?

What makes ya think we are not perfectly capable of busting our own butts?
He might not always grab you by the belt loop to keep you from busting. It is probably more likely that you will get a hand in standing on both feet agian. Sometimes people feel they don't even get that. But then when the person gives up on getting help, they find strength to stand, and realize they could do it on their own the whole time. Sometimes people don't realize what they are capable of, until they must rely on themselves to make it happen. Other times, praying and having faith in a higher power, knowing that Heavenly Father has faith in the person, seems to strengthen the persons faith in themselves.