If God is real, why does nothing ever happen when people pray?

Question

I noticed, seems nothing outside of the ordinary happens...,

Not much of a miracle to me.

Heard of people changing diets, living better, quitting smoking, & maybe cancer goes into temporary remission...

Things like that, or the "miracle" of being healed (after taking doctor's medications to fix it).

What gives? Where are the bloody miracles?

Answer 1

Maybe they are praying to the wrong god.

Answer 2

Miracles don't always come in solid, concrete form. Also, miracles can mean a lot of different things to people, they can be a large scale, or a small scale and may mean absolutely nothing to someone else. I have health issues, some days I feel as though it's a miracle that I can get up each day and live a normal life. A survivor of 9/11 may considerate it a miracle that they were running late to work on that particular day and are now alive because of that fact. Miracles don't always come out of prayers, some times they're just a gift.

However, what happens if we don't pray? I had a close family member go through heart surgery as an infant. What could have happened if we, as a family had not prayed for the doctors and their staffs while performing her surgery, as well as her? We believe it's a miracle that our sweet little girl is healthy and as normal as a 2 year old can be. We feel ahe is a miracle.

I believe miracles happen daily, you just have to have a personal understanding of what you believe a miracle is.

Here's Webster's definition of miracle:

1 : an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs
2 : an extremely outstanding or unusual event, thing, or accomplishment
3 Christian Science : a divinely natural phenomenon experienced humanly as the fulfillment of spiritual law

Answer 3

Miracles happen every day. People are blinded by the forest to see the trees. You are looking for God to operate like He did in Moses' day. Our generation has passed that. We walk by faith, not by sight. There are babies born to mothers that were said to be infertile. People walking after being bound to wheelchairs. What happened to Bob Woodruff, the anchor for ABC news, was a miracle. My friend, the knowledge and experience of doctors that "practice" medicine is a miracle. That the earth is in the perfect place to support life is a miracle. The way bees can fly is a miracle. The wonder of God is all around you.

Answer 4

Praying can be a way for some people to better focus on problems they may have in there life and hence , be more studious to finding answers to there problem. Praying or Wishing or writing in a journal are all good ways that some people use to think things through. You will find it is especially help full to women as there thought processes are more verbally based than mans.
Praying and Wishing will both seem to be addressed at the same rate.

Deja' Vou.... now that's just freaky.

Answer 5

You cannot just expect everything you want to happen. Some things are certain ways for a reason. Also just a piece of info if you read the Bible and pray on a daily basis you normally have more luck because you cannot just randomly pray when you "NEED" God. You should always pray and have a little faith.
It's your own fault you do not receive "miracles" I mean geez its not like Jesus DIED PAINFULLY on a cross for our sins. I mean man He could at LEAST do a miracle JUST for me since the world revolves around little ol' me :]. (dripping with sarcasm)

Answer 6

I have had prayers answered- through Jesus' name. Not always the way that I may chose them to be answered- He answers pray 3 ways- YES, NO, and WAIT. Sometimes being healed completely in this life is not His will, that is hard to understand- My hubby and I both have chronic health issues and He has not chosen to heal, but He has answered prayers- like provision just when we need it - my husband is unable to work due to his disability. Also learning to trust Him throughout the yrs of pain- that can only be answered by prayer, due to the fact no one wants to live in pain everyday. Where are the miracles?- I know someone who was completely healed of cancer when the drs gave him a month to live- He answers prayer, according to His will, not ours.

Answer 7

I believe in a God or higher power of some form. I even pray. But I dont expect anything to come of it. I dont think God creates miracles for some and denies others. I think what happens happens but if we open our eyes we can see some light through the darkness, but I think these "lights" are already there, you just have to see them. People say my prayer saved my baby, prayer heals. BUT what about the babies that die even through all the prayer in the world. Like my baby that died. Were our prayers not said right? No, prayer dosent fix anything. Its mind over matter. I have a hard time sleeping and I actually pray that I fall asleep before I think of it again, and I actually do fall right asleep. But I dont think thats God. I think thats me believing this will relax my mind and help me sleep. Its like a PLACEBO!

Answer 8

First of all you have to believe before your prayers are answered.
second all prayers that are prayed are not always answered
Even Jesus prayed a prayer that was not answered

He prayed..."Father if it be thy will let this cup pass from me"
well it didnt he had to go thru what was planned so that you and I might live.

Jesus takes care of my daily needs but also blesses me with more. Here is a scripture I live by and I look for these benefits every day

Psalm 68:19
Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation.

Answer 9

I was healed of a condition that required surgery. I was in a lot of pain and had a surgeon ready to operate that next week. My husband prayed for me and the weird part was that I didn't have any faith in his prayers. I went along with it for his sake. It was embarrassing. Then the condition was completely gone the next morning when I awoke.

And it's been 10 years now. No surgery. If you knew what the condition was, you would agree that was strange. So that's why I believe. I call that proof to me, but I guess it's only proof to me, my husband, my children and my mother. My doctor told me I was just backing out over the phone, but I didn't go and show him. It wasn't worth it to me because he probably would have charged me to show him I was healed!! He was a hateful old you-know-what!! And I know You don't believe me because it is so hard to believe!! But I wouldn't tell it to you if it was a lie!! It's not proof to you but it is proof to me.

Answer 10

I have seen miracles that happened in my life. The problem is you have to have faith but the point of faith is not seeing miracles. The point of faith is loving God, miracles are only a sign that he is with you.

Answer 11

I heard they did a study, and they asked people to pray for certain people in the hospital. They also had a control group. They found that the people that were prayed for did better than the control group. I don't have a source for this. I just remember hearing that story.