Sunday, July 24, 2011
Why Doesnt Prayer Work?
Why doesnt God hear us who pray? Why aren't the sick always healed. I am having a semi- faith crisis. I am very sad for a family who has had a lot of people praying and their child is only getting sicker. I am sad for another family I prayed for and their child died. Why? If God answers us who ask....then why? If anyone can help me with this very important question, it would be appreciated. Thank you, just having a rough day.
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12 comments:
Janis,
That is probably the number 1 reason that people have a crisis of faith. How can a loving God permit suffering? Why doesn't He answer our prayers. My best guess is that we live in a fallen world with imperfect bodies...no longer the world of Eden. When we chose sin, we also chose the world of death. But, our souls have everlasting life, thanks to Jesus.
God doesn't always answer our prayers in the way we want Him to. His plan is different from ours. He sees the big picture and we do not. To God we are not dying, we are going home...
Hugs. You are not alone.
I am not a patient person. When I pray I usually want answers right away and I want the things I ask for. I have to remember this little lesson my children taught me. We all get hungry in the evening around dinner time. I go in the kitchen and start mixing and measuring and my kids always come in and tell me they are hungry. I tell them I know they are hungry and I am making a yummy dinner plus dessert. The kids can't really see what I am doing because they are too short to see over the counter and I am very busy making treats so I don't always stop and show them. I tell them to wait just a few minutes for a great meal. They cannot see evidence of a meal, they know only that their request for food had not been answered. They go into fits whining and stomping that they are going to starve to death etc. They act like they really believe that they will starve in the next 20 minutes. That kind of reminds me of how I act when I pray. I know what I want, I can't see evidence of anything good coming my way, and I go into a tailspin of self pity and doubting God. I think He must be punishing me, or that he just doesn't love me etc. I'm sure if we could see the bigger picture we would see a loving Father busily preparing blessings without number. He loves us. It's just hard to see sometimes when we go through trials. I will add my prayers to yours on behalf of your friends. Keep the faith.
Janis
"God doesn't always answer our prayers in the way we want Him to. His plan is different from ours. He sees the big picture and we do not. To God we are not dying, we are going home..." I agree with Gretchen, thats exactly what I would've typed...
Janis, I am so sorry you are having a hard time, I will be praying for you...I had 2 pregnancy losses in the past 4 months and I could easily ? God but I do not, I keep trusting his will for my life...
Voddie Baucham has a sermon on why God allows people to hurt, I would encourage you to look at it...
Prayers, Heidi
I have learned over the years, it's all about HIS timing, not ours. Sometimes spirits are needed up in Heaven. Other times its to test us or for some other reason. It's hard to understand here on earth. Look at Job in the Bible. Wasn't he the one that lost EVERYTHING? I can't imagine.
On a more close to home level, I know a family where the mom died. They had 4 kids. She had cancer and it was a long battle. About 6 months after she passed away the man married a wonderful woman who also had 4 kids. They would have never been brought together of the wife hadn't passed away. I've heard they are very happy and now the other 4 kids have a father...where they didn't have one before (don't know what happened to him).
I hope you find the answers you are looking for. Keep praying. Maybe it's time for someone to go. It might be easier to pray for the family to be strong or for their hearts to understand what's going on instead of just saving the child's life...which you should also keep up if you feel like you should do.
I'll email a personal experience about prayer.
Philip Yancey has written about this subject quite a bit. My best friend recently read Disappointment with God when he was asking similar questions.
Hang in there!
~Luke
It isn't that God doesn't answer... sometimes it is just that God doesn't answer what we want. There is always an answer.
Remember in the garden of gethsemene? Jesus prayed that the cup would pass from him? Basically, "God is there any other way? Do I have to die like this?!" But he did. God answered him. And we are so thankful! Because if Christ hadn't died we would have NO advocate for our sin!
We have to believe that God answers are best even if they make life hard. Think of Eve in the garden! God had said "Don't eat the fruit or you will die." She was tricked into doing it. She didn't believe that God's way and commands were really best OR going to make her the happiest she could be and that is what a true crisis of faith is--doubting God. Don't do that! Because he is never unfaithful! Only WE are. Have a good day!
Heidi, I am so sorry for your recent losses and I hope that you may become preggy with a sticky lil bean soon.
Thank you to all who posted. Its been very helpful and there were a lot of good points made. I think I just had a moment of selfishness wondering why all mothers can't keep our babies on earth with us, but I know each life has a plan and dying doesn't mean actually dying, its going home like you all pointed out. Thanks guys I needed the reminder.
"When we experience loss, is when we experience God. Sometimes we need tragedy to understand mercy." -Becky Morecraft
We live in a fallen world so things are still going to happen. People are going to get sick and do things they are not supposed to. People will kill and bad things will still happen. The devil is on the loose and he is taking everyone down that he can. If he can even make you question your faith then he is doing his job correctly.
God answers all of our prayers, but they aren't always answered how we want them or how we see fit. He sees the big picture and knows already how everything will play out. Some times he grants us miracles and I don't know why some are given and some aren't but he is always there and always listening. Pray for him to handle it how he sees fit and be very specific about what you want when you pray. I hope things get better for you.
Janis,
Prayer doesn't work because there is nobody there to hear it. You may as well pray to a rock for all the good it will do. God is nothing more than a creation of the human mind that wants a super parent to always be there to take care of it. Many people believe in god because they are afraid that without god in their life they are all alone, but the truth is, they are alone. God is like a child's imaginary friend.
When you're sick you go to the doctor. Most of the time, the doctor gives you something to make you feel better, but it does nothing to treat the illness. It just makes you feel better being sick. When you have a cold it takes 14 days to get better if you don't do anything for it. If you go to the doctor it only takes 2 weeks.
Good fortune to you and your "Peas".
Wow Michael how very condescending. I hope when you get to the other side you understand how bad it is that not only did you not believe, you tried conning others into not believing as well. Very mature and I am glad you are SO certain of yourself!
I'm not sure of anything, but I seriously doubt the "Christian" view of God is correct.
Every religion teaches that their view of God is the correct one. This includes:
2,000 – 2,200 million Christians.
1,570 – 1,650 million Muslims.
828 – 1,000 million Hindus.
400 – 1,500 million Buddhists.
14 - 18 million Jews.
3 - 14 million Mormons.
10,000 FLDS
In addition to all these views of God, there are the Greek, Roman, , Egyptian, Native American, etc., etc., etc., views of God as well. So which God do you pray to? It doesn't really matter because your view of God isn't any more valid than any other view of God. Personally, I pray to the great Flying Spaghetti Monster (with meatballs).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_religious_groups
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gods
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Spaghetti_Monster
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