Do you think God answers specific prayers? If so, why are only some of them answered?

Question

For instance, if two people pray to survive cancer, and one lives and one dies, how can you explain God answering only one of the prayers?

Answer 1

God always answers prayer. Sometimes the answer is "yes", sometimes it's "no" and sometimes it's "wait".
"Answering prayer" doesn't always mean that we get what we ask for.

Answer 2

God does answer all prayers: yes, no, & wait. In Ecclesiastics 3, the Scripture lists many examples of events but explains that there is "a time for every purpose under Heaven."

In the example you listed, the cancer survivor glorified God by living and beating the cancer, while the death of the person who did not survive cancer served a purpose, too. Although their death was painful to the family, etc., it served a "purpose under Heaven," although the family of the deceased may not know the purpose until they get to Heaven.

Secondly, God will not answer prayers that are not in line with His will, as written in His Word, the Bible. (1John 5) For example, a man prays to have Mary as his wife. However, Mary is married to Bill, and Scripture says not to lust after another man's wife and that adultery is sin. Therefore no matter how hard that man prays, because it is against God's Word, He will not answer that prayer.

Good question. Many of us have questioned God's timing or why God's answer was not what we wanted. That is the great struggle with faith, believing that God is in charge and that He knows what He is doing.

I do not know whether my answer helped you, but keep asking questions, and it will be revealed to you. God bless.

Answer 3

Nah. I don't believe that God is the great Santa Claus in the sky.

I believe that God has answered all prayers before they have been asked. The possibility of of the prayer answered is always available as is the possibility of the prayer unanswered. The result is based on the true belief of the asker. The power behind the prayer is always there.

If you believe that cancer is neither good nor evil but is just cancer and a part of life, then a person with cancer is no more or less blessed than the person without.

A person that dies is not cursed into it by God but simply has died. Death is not evil and is just as much of a blessing as life. It is true that one day you will be dead and that day is just as wonderful or woeful as the day before it based on your belief in wonderment or woe.

Answer 4

Yes I do believe God answers specific prayers, however, I also believe there is a caveat in the answer received. Let me explain: two cancer patients, both praying for a miracle, one truly believes without a doubt that he/she will live, the other wants to live but has doubts whether he/she will. The will to live is unquestionable in the first patient, plus the energy and thoughts into the universe is I WILL live. The second is doubtful and the thoughts put into the universe is PERHAPS I should live - not very clear, so the answer is not very clear.
What I have found, is that your prayer must be very concise and you must believe without a doubt on the positive answer and yes it will be answered.

Answer 5

Almost 60 years of life has taught many things of God. My sister was mean, drunk, and just nasty. From the time I was 11, I prayed for her. When she was 38, she shot one of her husbands but did not kill him. She took antibuse to quit drinking but her hateful ways never went away. She was hateful till the day she died. However, two weeks before she died, she did pray and that made my prayers for her answered. On her death bed, she was still mean to me but that is ok because she prayed. Many times prayers are not answered as we want and some prayers seem never to be answered. However, we are not on earth to see all of God's answers and plans. Faith is what we must have believing that our prayers have been answered. We just never know but must always hope.

Answer 6

God does answer every prayer, but not in the way we think He should. He know what is right and wrong for each person. He knows the future, and He makes the decision. Through tragedy or good things God is reflected in all. Another thing if God gave us all that we ask for, then we wouldn't need to depend on God. We don't understand why, but God cares enough to do what is right.

Answer 7

There are some questions that we can't answer and this is one. Sometimes it could be a that the person doesn't believe,,,,God doesn't hear the prayers of someone who is not saved. John 9:31 "Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshiper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth."
I just want to add here,,,that God does hear your prayer to be saved.

...but sometimes a person's faith is strong and they still die. I believe there are times when God can use your sickness to bring someone else to prayer and closer to him but I don't believe you get sick for that reason. I only know this scripture below says that we will someday have all our questions answered. Now we only know a little but someday we will know it all.

First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians (Bible, 1 Corinthians 13, verse 11)

When I was a child, I spake as a child,
I understood as a child, I thought as a child:
but when I became a man, I put away
childish things. For now we see through a
glass, darkly; but then face to face: now
I know in part; but then shall I know even
as also I am known.

Answer 8

God answers prayers in his do time, but if you fail to continue to pray then of course he not going to answer the pray because you r not really that concern

Answer 9

God answers all prayer no matter how you look at it. It may not be the way we want it answered!!! Ever heard of Jeremy Camp? He got married to a girl, and while on his honeymoon with her, he wrote a song called "Walk By Faith." Four month's later she died of cancer. He kept asking God "Why? Why would you take someone I loved so much?" God finally gave him the answer and he confessed it wasn't the one he wanted! God told him he didn't want him to know...... because that wouldn't be WALKING BY FAITH, would it?

Answer 10

imagine God answering all the prayers in the world what a mess?have you watched Bruce Almighty?in the case that there is no conflict in answering the prayer, maybe God has his reason..

Answer 11

You can pray as hard as you want, but if it is your time to go, then you will go, and God answers prayers, just now how we plan him to. We are to specific, and impatient, if our prayers aren't answered in a week, we just know God wasn't listening.