Prayer: Does God Really Answer?

I'm sure many like my self have been disappointed when they have prayed and it appears that God can't hear them or worse yet is ignoring them. But is this in fact what is happening?  If you understand that prayer is a way of communicating with God and not necessarily an entitlement process, You will realize that God does hear your prayers and is definately not ignoring you.  

Prayer is the way in which we can honestly open our hearts to God. We can tell Him our concerns and also give Him praise and honor. He wants us to pray because prayer will lift us up to a higher place – a place where we can enter into his presence. He also wants us to understand what exactly will influence the His Will. "For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor you will surround him as with a shield" (Psalm 5:12). Live as honorably as you can. Walk in righteousness. Be quick to extend mercy. Live justly for this what God requires of us.

(He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.)  (Micah 6; 8)

Prayer does not and cannot change the purpose of God. For every right and good thing we might ask for He has already planned to give us. But prayer does change the action of God. Because He cannot give to us against our will, and our willingness as expressed by our asking gives Him the opportunity to do as He has already planned. What we are asking for may not always be what God desires for us. What God has for us is so much greater then anything we could ask for.

This does not limit God’s ability or eagerness to give us strength and grace each day. God wants us to understand His love and He provides enough evidence to show each of us that He cares for us. One of the most amazing points about the subject of prayer is this: God provides for us every day, in ways that we are not even aware. In other words, if we had to pray for everything we needed, we would not have time to do anything else! God knows our needs even before we cry out and He graciously provides them. We are alive this very day, only by the mercy of God. When situations occur that drive us to petition the Almighty, God uses this to test our faith and to reveal Himself to us in intimate ways. God has two objectives in every trial. He wants to deepen our love for Him and He wants us to see how secure our life of faith in Him really is. As Job said, "Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him. . ." (Job 13:15) We all know that Job's Latter day's were so much greater and more abundant then the former day's because he yeilded to the will and purpose of God.