God hears and answers every prayer, but there are a precious few to which he always says, “Yes.” The prayers always answered positively are the prayers which explicitly ask God to deliver on his promises to us. God will always say Yes when we ask him to do his work through his word.
Your prayers do not align with God's will.
Simply put, sometimes God doesn't answer our prayers because we are praying for the wrong things. And we may not be doing this out of malice, either, so much as out of ignorance. Perhaps we don't know enough of God's Word to know his will.
Since God does not change, He delights in your prayers just as much as yesterday as He does today—as He will forever (Hebrews 13:8). Go to your Father knowing that He is never bored of you or your prayers. He loves them, delights in them, and wants to hear them.
So does God change His mind when we pray? No. God is unchangeable—He is immutable.
Through the scriptures, we are taught that God will always hear our prayers and will answer them if we address Him with faith and real intent. In our hearts we will feel the confirmation that He does hear us, a feeling of peace and calm. We can also feel that everything will be fine when we follow the Father's will.
I've heard it said that God answers prayers in one of three ways. God says “Yes,” and you receive what you ask for. God says “No,” and you have to accept it and move on. Or God says “Not Yet,” and you learn to be patient and wait.
God always listens to us when we pray. The scriptures show countless examples of prayers God has heard and answered.
Fifteen hundred years after Noah's great flood, King Solomon was receiving some advice from his father, King David, who said this, ” … for the Lord searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts” 1 Chronicles 28:9. In other words, “Be aware of what's in your head, son. God sees it.”
Silence and solitude are essential aspects of contemplative prayer, a practice of prayer that waits on God and trusts in God's present love and grace. While silence can be especially helpful in becoming attentive to God while praying, it is hardly an excuse to remain aloof from the needs of our neighbors.
Sometimes when bad things happen, they empower us to act and serve. Even the Savior, our example, suffered infirmities, “that his bowels may be filled with mercy” and so that He could know “how to succor his people” (Alma 7:12). Trials can open our eyes to those who are suffering.
James 4:3 says, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” We don't get our prayers answered because our motives are impure and wrong. God answers prayers according to His will and desires. If it isn't His will (or goes against His will) you can be sure it won't get answered.
DEAR M.J.G.: No matter what we've done or how rebellious we've been, God offers to forgive us for only one reason: He loves us. It doesn't seem logical, and we don't deserve it, but it's still true: in spite of all our sins, He loves us. The Bible says, “I have loved you with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3).
They are based on a well-known format: A.C.T.S. = adoration, confession, thanksgiving and supplication.
I think there are at least five ways of praying in the Spirit: 1) praying God's Word; 2) listening to God and praying; 3) partnering in prayer with Christ your Intercessor; 4) praying the God-given desires of your heart; 5) praying with divine love. Our prayer lives come to life when we are empowered by the Spirit.
It is called the "Jesus Prayer", and it consists simply in uttering the single word "Jesus" (or "Lord Jesus", or "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner") in any situation, at any time and place, either aloud or silently.
Throughout human history, God has initiated communication with humanity by speaking audibly to humans. He also speaks to us through the glory of His creation. Additionally, He speaks to us through His Holy Spirit and through dreams, visions and our thoughts.
He hears our cries of unhappiness, pain, frustration, exhaustion, and fear. We can be honest with Him. His listening ear is always open to our prayers. His loving heart wants to embrace us as we cry on His shoulder.
The simple answer is yes, God hears your prayers. An ever-present, all-knowing God will hear every word from your mouth, thought in your mind and whisper of your heart. But there are some things that might affect whether He answers.
And, it means that God never leaves or looks away, no matter how horrible something may be in our human existence. Where is God when bad things happen? God is right there with us.