Does God Answer Prayer?

VictoryinJesus · Jul 6, 2017

I am sure you all remember when the movie, The War Room came out in theaters. At the time, I was already taking daily walks with the Lord up in the woods beside my home. There, in the silence, God and I discussed many things. There, God revealed many things that, at the time, didn't feel good to acknowledge. Truth. Truth about my selfishness. Truth about the sins of the past and how they collided with the present.

Truth that: God’s counsel, is the counsel we should seek.

Acts 5: 38-39 “And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.”

There is the peace. Peace that we do not have to manipulate circumstances to our advantage. We don’t have to stress or worry over the outcome because “if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.”

This profound truth in God’s word I have witnessed and is a short testimony I want to share. After watching the movie, The War Room, I moved prayer upstairs and designated a room for spiritual warfare. Many tears have been shed. Many hours of petitioning, interceding and lamenting. A lot of sorrow over all that I have done in my own name has been poured out inside that room. The walls are lined with sticky-notes with prayers for everyone that needed prayer over the past two years. One wall was left bare and assigned the title “Answered Prayers.”

For two years, not one sticky-note ever moved to the “Answered Prayer” wall. Not a single one during that two years. One day I stood and stared at all the prayers and asked God why? Why did He not hear my prayers? His word says “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” Had I not been made right before the Father through the blood of Jesus Christ? Had I not been made righteous before a holy God through the Son? Had I not been born of God? A new creature.

Why was God not answering?

I want to say I was convicted one day to remove all the sticky-notes from the walls and place them in a basket, a basket that would find a hidden place at the bottom of my closet because God had convicted me that a wall out in clear sight where someone might happen to see it, was not necessary. But that is not the whole truth. The truth is, I lost faith. I lost hope. I couldn’t take another moment of disappointment over God not answering so I filled a basket, and hid it away from my sight.

I had forgotten about the basket until last night. You see, one of the most complicated prayers; a prayer for God to intervene on behalf of an abused and bullied little boy, a prayer for God to subdue the oppressive evil power held over this child's head, was answered which sent me to dig that basket out for confirmation of the exact words of the prayer. Praise God! The prayer had seemed so monumental and hopeless of resolve. I sat in the floor and started to pull out prayer after prayer, placing answered prayers to the side. One by one, countless prayers that have been answered began to pile.

Today, my daughter is really struggling with faith and God gave me the gift of being able to lay out prayer after prayer before her that He has answered within only a couple of months. Prayers for people that seemed like impossible prayers. My daughters words as she read them: you wrote these out just now. Tonight.

"No," I told her, "I wrote these years ago." The answered prayers were fashioned to fit the exact prayer outcome asked, as if I had seen the future and the before it had happened. As if I had been a part of the solution. To clarify, God gave the result I asked and HE tailor-made the path to that answer in ways, I never could have imagined. We did nothing. It was then that I realized God had answered those prayers... the moment I asked them. When I had thought He wasn't listening. He was working.

If your prayers seem to go unanswered, remember Daniel 10: 12-13 “Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.”

Frank Lee · Jul 7, 2017

After 40 years of prayers it is still a mystery to me. I cringe when I see so called prayer keys, so called sure fire methods to get your prayers answered to your complete satisfaction. God would be a puppet if He were moved by such ridiculous notions.

Prayers I've just uttered without much thought have been answered right away while genuine needs have gone unfulfilled. Once I prayed "Lord send us some Jehovah's witnesses. They came the next day.

I'm still learning but getting better about leaving things with the Lord. I've suffered through trying to push prayers through like a politician trying to pass a bill. Anything that causes me to lose my God given peace is going to be dismissed. No more pushing. Praying earnestly yes but no pushing.

Prayers for others are often more difficult to turn over than prayers for yourself. The love God places in our heart for complete strangers is amazing. I find myself brought to tears by the plight of others as I am sure you are. But I am forced to place the prayers for them on the altar before God and walk away from them just like all other prayers.

To keep on praying and not give up is the main thing Jesus said. Do not faint but continue to pray for every need and continue to pray and let the Lord answer all of them as He sees fit.

Lucian Hodoboc · Jul 18, 2017

How do you know that they were not just coincidental events that occurred on their own after a certain period of time? Do you have any proof that those problems wouldn't have been resolved without someone having prayed for their resolution?

Helen · Jul 18, 2017

GREAT opening post! Wonderful testimony. Amen.
Yes, God answers prayer.....in His time and in His way!! ✟

I do see a difference between prayer that HE drops into our heart to pray...like the nudges He gives by floating someone before us during the day. Sometimes I "think about a person" three times before FINALLY I recognize it as a 'nudge' from The Lord to 'wait before Him' and prayer for them. Other times I know that the prayer comes more from my own concern than from 'hearing' or a nude from God. I don't find these are answered as quickly as the others are.

Frank Lee:- EXCELLENT post... ✟

Indeed, Praise God..for both uplifting encouraging posts!!

aspen · Jul 18, 2017

No. God does not answer all prayer. Jesus tells us so, indirectly, in Luke 11:11. Humans are not very good at praying for good things - often we actually ask God for the snake!

Stranger · Jul 20, 2017

aspen said:
No. God does not answer all prayer. Jesus tells us so, indirectly, in Luke 11:11. Humans are not very good at praying for good things - often we actually ask God for the snake!

(Luke 11:11) doesn't speak to unanswered prayer. It speaks to answered prayer.

Stranger

lforrest · Jul 20, 2017

Stranger said:
(Luke 11:11) doesn't speak to unanswered prayer. It speaks to answered prayer.

Stranger

However James 4:3 does speak of unanswered prayer.

lforrest · Jul 20, 2017

Lucian Hodoboc said:
How do you know that they were not just coincidental events that occurred on their own after a certain period of time? Do you have any proof that those problems wouldn't have been resolved without someone having prayed for their resolution?

I have never seen someone prove that God answers prayers to the satisfaction of the sceptic. I have been completely convinced that he does, and even calculated the probability before for one thing that happened, it was highly improbable to be random.

Jesus said it is a wicked and adulterous generation that asks for a sign. Thinking of his words we can consider the motivation of the people of his time. I think they didn't want to believe because it would rock their boat, so they kept a double standard for the degree of proof required.

We do the same thing today when we believe anything we see written in an article but not God's word.

Stranger · Jul 20, 2017

lforrest said:
However James 4:3 does speak of unanswered prayer.

Yes it does. And it doesn't put the blame on God's will. It puts the blame on us.

I believe praying is a learning experience for the Christian. So that we learn how to pray by even understanding that many of our prayers go unanswered or that they go unanswered for awhile. Without a doubt prayer is an action given for the purpose of God answering it. It remains for us to know what and when to ask. Which means we, the Christian, really have to be in a right relationship with God to know that. For God to burden our spirits with that.

Concerning this, E.M. Bounds has written: ( E.M. Bounds on Prayer, Baker Books, copyright 2006, p. 187)

"It is answered prayer which brings praying out of the realm of dry, dead things, and makes praying a thing of life and power. It is the answer to prayer which brings things to pass, changes the natural trend of things, and orders all things according to the will of God. It is the answer to prayer which takes praying out of the regions of fanaticism, and saves it from being Utopian, or from being merely fanciful. It is the answer to prayer which makes praying a power for God and for man, and makes praying real and divine. Unanswered prayers are training schools for unbelief, an imposition and a nuisance, an impertinence to God and to man.

"Answers to prayer are the only surety that we have prayed aright. What marvelous power there is in prayer! What untold miracles it works in this world! What untold benefits to men does it secure to those who pray! Why is it that the average prayer by the million goes a begging for an answer?

"The millions of unanswered prayeres are not to be solved by the mystery of God's will. We are not the sport of his sovereign power. He is not playing at 'make-believe' in his marvelous promises to answer prayer. The whole explanation is found in our wrong praying. 'We ask and receive not because we ask amiss.' If all unanswered prayers were dumped into the ocean, they would come very near filling it. Child of God, can you pray? Are your prayers answered? If not, why not? Answered prayer is the proof of your real praying. "

Stranger

Lucian Hodoboc · Jul 20, 2017

lforrest said:
We do the same thing today when we believe anything we see written in an article but not God's word.

That's the problem, you see. God's word (at least the one from The Bible) doesn't seem to be consistent. Jesus said: Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. (John 14:13-14)

Unless He was talking exclusively to the apostles, and this statement is not addressed to the entire humankind, then that is simply a false statement. Millions of Christians have prayed for healing in Jesus' name, but have not received it.

Sword · Jul 20, 2017

Lucian Hodoboc said:
That's the problem, you see. God's word (at least the one from The Bible) doesn't seem to be consistent. Jesus said: Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. (John 14:13-14)

Unless He was talking exclusively to the apostles, and this statement is not addressed to the entire humankind, then that is simply a false statement. Millions of Christians have prayed for healing in Jesus' name, but have not received it.

Its by faith and faith alone you get healed. What could we not heal the boy they asked Jesus. He told them straigh because of your LACK of faith. They healed many before this. He then said this type only comes out through prayer and fasting. Both of these are comunicating with God and dying to self time with God alone. Praying in the spirit to build your self up and in faith. and dying to the flesh and taking control of it. teaching the flesh who is in control. We know He never made a fasle statement.
He also said believers will lay hands on the sick and they will be healed. He also said tell them all things I told you. That includes healing. He also said by His stripes yoiu are healed. He also said by His stripes you were healed. It all reqires faith. Many think the are in faith because the believe on the surface. Thats not faith. Faith moves the mountian. If the mountian doesnt move guess whats missing. Faith

lforrest · Jul 20, 2017

Lucian Hodoboc said:
That's the problem, you see. God's word (at least the one from The Bible) doesn't seem to be consistent. Jesus said: Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. (John 14:13-14)

Unless He was talking exclusively to the apostles, and this statement is not addressed to the entire humankind, then that is simply a false statement. Millions of Christians have prayed for healing in Jesus' name, but have not received it.

Consider what Jesus said to before that. John 14:11-14.

It is those who believe in him who will do greater things and ask the Father in Jesus name. Jesus speaks of his relationship with the Father, and that is how the conversation transitioned to prayer. So the relationship of the praying person with Jesus is implied.

Lucian Hodoboc · Jul 20, 2017

lforrest said:
Consider what Jesus said to before that. John 14:11-14.

It is those who believe in him who will do greater things and ask the Father in Jesus name. Jesus speaks of his relationship with the Father, and that is how the conversation transitioned to prayer. So the relationship of the praying person with Jesus is implied.

Do you consider yourself to have this relationship with The Father that Jesus spoke of? If yes - can you do miracles? Have you ever prayed for a terminally ill cancer patient who, as a result of your prayer, was healed? If not - do you know anyone who does have this relationship?

lforrest · Jul 20, 2017

I prayed and fasted for my Grandfather to be healed of cancer that was found when he had a heart attack. He survived for months with ups and downs, but eventually he entered a period of severe suffering. I prayed that it would be better for God to take him and the next day as I entered his room he was drawing his last breaths and was dead within a minute. He could have died at any time in the night or morning that I had not been there.

God sometimes makes up his mind and there is nothing that can change it. But the prayer is still answered, just not in the way we wanted or expected. I am fully confident people are healed of cancer, but even if he doesn't heal someone there is no loss except for the people left behind.

Sword, Consider that we hear nothing of Joseph after Jesus' childhood. Could Jesus have needed to watch his earthly father die so he may empathize with those who suffer the loss of a loved one?

Stranger · Jul 20, 2017

Lucian Hodoboc said:
Do you consider yourself to have this relationship with The Father that Jesus spoke of? If yes - can you do miracles? Have you ever prayed for a terminally ill cancer patient who, as a result of your prayer, was healed? If not - do you know anyone who does have this relationship?

Your words are of one who is not a Christian. Why do you wear the brand on this forum? Just so you can enter into the Christian areas?

In (John 5:1-16) you see Christ heal the man at the pool of Bethsda. Yet there were many that needed healing. But Christ only healed one. In other words, Christ didn't heal everyone. Christ did what the Father so willed. So healing is not a circus show whereby you go walk down the street and heal everyone you see. It is with direction. That direction comes from God. And if God so directs then yes the believer can pray for ones healing and that person will be healed.

We who are Christians, are learning and being made more like Christ everyday. And what we learn along the way is to discern. Christ was the Son of God without sin, yet He prayed to the Father, "...if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." This is what Christ meant to the disciples when He said "whatever you ask in my name". That is not a postage stamp. It is being of a spiritual walk so that one knows that this is what God wants to do, what Jesus wants to do. And it doesn't just pertain to healing.

I haven't ever prayed alone for a cancer patient to be healed and they were. But as a group of believers we have. And I have prayed for things that God has answered in a miraculous manner. So what? That doesn't make me a Christian, or not a Christian. What makes me a Christian is my faith in Jesus Christ. Then I build and grow in that, including my prayer life.

You however are an unbeliever full of doubt and wanting to spread your doubt into the Christian realm. Your wasting your time.

Stranger

Sword · Jul 21, 2017

lforrest said:
God sometimes makes up his mind and there is nothing that can change it.

There is no scripture to back this up. This is mans experiance. Joe has no bearing on this

Lucian Hodoboc · Jul 21, 2017

Stranger said:
In (John 5:1-16) you see Christ heal the man at the pool of Bethsda. Yet there were many that needed healing. But Christ only healed one. In other words, Christ didn't heal everyone.

Firstly, nowhere does it say that there were other ill men there at the time that Jesus healed the men who had been ill for thirty-eight years. John 5:3 tells us: "In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, [waiting for the moving of the waters". The verb "lay" is at present tense (unlike the verbs from the rest of the narrative), which would point out that John meant that usually there were people who used to come and lay there, not that there were actually people laying there at the time Jesus healed that particular man. Notice how there is no mention of anyone entering the waters while Jesus was there? Notice how there is no mention of anyone else coming to Him after the man was healed and started walking? Wouldn't the other sick people waiting there run to Jesus after they had just witnessed Him healing one of their brethren? Nobody else came to Jesus for healing at the pool of Bethesda because there was nobody else sick there that day. The crowd mentioned in John 5:12 was a crowd of healthy people. Seeing how they formed a crowd, we can deduce that they could walk, because if they had been lame and lying on the ground, they could not have formed a crowd.
Secondly, if there were indeed other sick people there, none of them asked Christ for healing. Christ healed the one who came to Him. The other men that were there did not came to Him seeking healing.

Stranger said:
Your words are of one who is not a Christian. Why do you wear the brand on this forum? Just so you can enter into the Christian areas?

Oh, my! If doubt declassifies one as a Christian, I guess we can cross out the apostle Thomas and St. Mother Theresa from the list of Christians.

Sword · Jul 21, 2017

Lucian Hodoboc said:
Firstly, nowhere does it say that there were other ill men there at the time that Jesus healed the men who had been ill for thirty-eight years. John 5:3 tells us: "In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, [waiting for the moving of the waters". The verb "lay" is at present tense (unlike the verbs from the rest of the narrative), which would point out that John meant that usually there were people who used to come and lay there, not that there were actually people laying there at the time Jesus healed that particular man. Notice how there is no mention of anyone entering the waters while Jesus was there? Notice how there is no mention of anyone else coming to Him after the man was healed and started walking? Wouldn't the other sick people waiting there run to Jesus after they had just witnessed Him healing one of their brethren? Nobody else came to Jesus for healing at the pool of Bethesda because there was nobody else sick there that day. The crowd mentioned in John 5:12 was a crowd of healthy people. Seeing how they formed a crowd, we can deduce that they could walk, because if they had been lame and lying on the ground, they could not have formed a crowd.
Secondly, if there were indeed other sick people there, none of them asked Christ for healing. Christ healed the one who came to Him. The other men that were there did not came to Him seeking healing.

Oh, my! If doubt declassifies one as a Christian, I guess we can cross out the apostle Thomas and St. Mother Theresa from the list of Christians.

First of all pay no attention to stranger. think of it like the children do Starnger danger. Poor stranger does not know the love of Jeus in his life and there for acts like it. All to plain and obvious to any one how hurt he is. No one who knows the love of Jesus first hand acts the way that poor tormented soul does.
You are correct stranger has the ability to add or subtract from scripture at will. We all but him know the warning. Any answer he gives comes from a I am very hurt perpective and dont know the heart love or will of God in any way shape or form. So please dont even talk to him he will bring you down with him. I ignore him for the most part. But for your sake I looked at you reply and saw what he said. Hes cluless with scripture and I mean cluless. I dont blame him or hold it against him. He has no clue because he has listened to people who were also blind.

Any ways back to truth and fruit and Jesus and love and all good things that come from God away with all the tripe.

So yes the bible does not say Jesus missed some. Men say that. The bible says Jesus healed them all every where he went bar none. Some people look for fsault and satan will always feed them with fault. I love the Lord and try to see Him through what He done for me. He gave the best He jad for me. I must be worth something. woohoo

Jesus healed them all that is a fact. It even says if all works He done were recoreded all the books in the world cound not contian them. I wonder if He healed all at the pool on other day s that were not recorded. So you believe this in faith or through your own understanding. I give Jesus credit every time. He healed them all. so let all men be liars and that would inclued all the nay sayers. People like stranger and many other only believe if the see it just like the pharisees. Healing is available to all . any one who says other wise does not understand why we take two eliments in the communinion. The do not understand by His stripes you are healed. The majority dont even know how to pray as a son of God. There still praying like beggers who dont know who they are and what they are through Christ. They are willfully ignorant. Jeus paid for all healing at the wipping post and for your sin at the cross. How many sacrificial lambs have you ever heard of that were treated like he was beaten and whipped. all scrifises where killed in the most humain way possible.

Stranger · Jul 21, 2017

Lucian Hodoboc said:
Firstly, nowhere does it say that there were other ill men there at the time that Jesus healed the men who had been ill for thirty-eight years. John 5:3 tells us: "In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, [waiting for the moving of the waters". The verb "lay" is at present tense (unlike the verbs from the rest of the narrative), which would point out that John meant that usually there were people who used to come and lay there, not that there were actually people laying there at the time Jesus healed that particular man. Notice how there is no mention of anyone entering the waters while Jesus was there? Notice how there is no mention of anyone else coming to Him after the man was healed and started walking? Wouldn't the other sick people waiting there run to Jesus after they had just witnessed Him healing one of their brethren? Nobody else came to Jesus for healing at the pool of Bethesda because there was nobody else sick there that day. The crowd mentioned in John 5:12 was a crowd of healthy people. Seeing how they formed a crowd, we can deduce that they could walk, because if they had been lame and lying on the ground, they could not have formed a crowd.
Secondly, if there were indeed other sick people there, none of them asked Christ for healing. Christ healed the one who came to Him. The other men that were there did not came to Him seeking healing.

Oh, my! If doubt declassifies one as a Christian, I guess we can cross out the apostle Thomas and St. Mother Theresa from the list of Christians.

What a blind statement you have made. A multitude of sick folk were by the pool. The impotent man said to Jesus after Jesus asked him if he wanted to be healed, (John 5:7) "...I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another stepppeth down before me." So your first point is wrong at best, a lie at the worst.

Jesus only healed one there. That is the point. And the impotent man did not come to Christ, Christ came to him. The crowd that gathered was not around Jesus. It was around the impotent man. (John 5:9-11) And, it was not those who were sick by the pool. It was other Jews who saw him walking on the Sabbath. Jesus found the man later. (John 5:14) Thus your second point is wrong at best, a lie at the worst.

Doubt doesn't declassify a believer as a believer. And Thomas was a believer. (John 11:16) But doubt from one who is not a believer, one who is not looking for reasons to believe, but for reasons not to believe, that is you and other skeptics and rationalists, that doubt confirms you as a non-believer.

So, you must first be classified as a believer before you are non-classified.

Stranger

lforrest · Jul 21, 2017

Stranger said:
What a blind statement you have made. A multitude of sick folk were by the pool. The impotent man said to Jesus after Jesus asked him if he wanted to be healed, (John 5:7) "...I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another stepppeth down before me." So your first point is wrong at best, a lie at the worst.

Jesus only healed one there. That is the point. And the impotent man did not come to Christ, Christ came to him. The crowd that gathered was not around Jesus. It was around the impotent man. (John 5:9-11) And, it was not those who were sick by the pool. It was other Jews who saw him walking on the Sabbath. Jesus found the man later. (John 5:14) Thus your second point is wrong at best, a lie at the worst.

Doubt doesn't declassify a believer as a believer. And Thomas was a believer. (John 11:16) But doubt from one who is not a believer, one who is not looking for reasons to believe, but for reasons not to believe, that is you and other skeptics and rationalists, that doubt confirms you as a non-believer.

So, you must first be classified as a believer before you are non-classified.

Stranger

Suppose he is a Christian and had some bad experiences recently to cause him doubt. You would be kicking a man when he is down.

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