If God always answers prayers please explain this to me?

Question

Years ago I was a hardcore Christian. When I was a young teenager I started to have doubts, and it ate at me more than anything you could imagine. I would kneel on the side of my bed every night and pray for an hour at a time, begging God to help me stop having doubts. I would cry and look to the sky and make myself sick over it. I did this every...single...night for over a year. I meant every word of my prayers, and at the end of that year I was so torn up over it that I was contemplating suicide because of my doubts.

I never got anything. No signs, no circumstances to make my fading belief bounce back, no miracle (big or small)...Nothing.

Not long after I was going through that torture I decided to pull myself together. I learned the term agnostic. I declared myself that, though I continued to pray just in case.

Still no answers.

If God exists, why didn't he let me know? I've always been told that no answer means no, so that's how I took it.

To the guy who doesn't buy it... You've never met my family. My dad told me once that if God told him to kill me for a greater good he'd do it (this is after I asked him so).

Guys, I wasn't looking for a giant miracle. I was just looking for SOMETHING. Nothing changed in my world.

I'm almost 30 now and very happy. I'm not looking for religion. I'm just trying to understand the logic behind "always" answering prayers.

Most of the answers here just confirm why I'm an atheist. Thanks. : )

Answer 1

A couple of thoughts . . .

Does the sun rise even if you don't see it?

If you're inside all day and you never see the sun rise, did it rise? Or did it cease to exist because you didn't see it? Perhaps God answers our prayers, even if we don't see the effects of the answer, even if we don't get the answer we want, and even if we don't know what the answer is -- God still answers just as the sun still rises.

C.S. Lewis wrote that he prayed to change himself, not to change God.

In all of your prayers, did you change? Were you willing to change? Or were you demanding that God respond in the way YOU wanted?

So many non-believers demand proof -- proof they can accept, when they want it, and the way they want it.

And too many churches teach that doubts are wrong . . . doubts are acceptable and perfectly understandable. Christ's last words included doubts, so it makes sense that we, too have doubts, right?

God demonstrates his power and his presence, and we can choose to recognize it, and accept it for what it is, or we can look for reasons not to believe (and there will always be reasons not to believe), or we can create our own rules and definitions for God.

We can demand from God an answer . . . "I want this, now, in this way, and I want it EXACTLY like I want it." And still not be satisfied with the results.

We can ask God to make us happy, and then only recognize what happiness is after experiencing a horrific tragedy – is God responsible for us recognizing the happiness we had, or is God responsible for the tragedy, or are we responsible for all of it?

It’s hard to believe sometimes – even in scripture someone says to Christ – “Lord, I believe, help me with my unbelief.”

We just have to understand God will respond in God’s time and in God’s way, not necessarily in our way.

Godspeed.

Answer 2

God does exist; and He did answer your prayers but He doesn't always do the big bang that some people expect.

When you ask for God to show you He exists, perhaps He did in ways you did not expect; maybe the flowers were prettier, or the grass was greener; perhaps people were nicer to you; perhaps you were protected from harm or whatever you attempted to do, worked smoothly, perhaps you became more financially secure.
One thing that strikes me - you say you prayed for a whole year & God didn't ans; but you don't mention any truely bad thing that happened that year - perhaps that was your ans.

Mark 9:24 Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"

I prayed this prayer, like for a long time and now I believe fully.

Don't let the evil one full you. God is always there, and He answers prayers
He answers my prayers all the time. Do you have a little quiet inner voice? Its the Holy Spirit speaking.
I thank God everyday that my family is healthy, happy, safe, and provided for. He has answered my prayers and I RECEIVE the answers to my prayers.

No matter God is exactly where you left Him and He'll be waiting to receive you when you turn back to Him because He's always right next to you waiting for you to call to him.
He's answering your prayers and loving you as He loves all His children.
Matthew 11: 28"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Answer 3

What you are/were lacking is faith. The conviction and belief in things unseen. Doubts do not occur when you have steadfast faith. Belief doesn't fade with love, hope and faith.

I don't know why God doesn't answer everyone's prayers, but I have a suspicion it's because lack of faith does not produce miracles. No answer doesn't mean "no". It means the time is not yet right to receive an answer, whether it be yes or no. I think God is waiting on you.

Jesus gave us the Spirit of Truth which has been poured out among mankind, along with the Holy Spirit who leads us into the light of what is right. Divine revelations are possible if you truly believe. This brings us right back to faith and the strength that it has within man.

Answer 4

God is thee. I had the same problem over the last year. My problem was that I was looking for something BIG. I am sure that there are many time that he tried to get my attention, but I was looking to far ahead to see what was right in front of me.
You Might have the same problem. try this, next time you have a really big problem on your hands, just let go and pray. trust God with your whole heart, even If you have doubts. I delt with cutting for 2 1/2 years, and I doubted god, but one day I had decided that I had Had enough, and I just said
"god, I don't even Know if your there, but, I 'm tierd, and I need your help. And Guess what...ever since that day, I have known more than anything else that God Is there. I hope this helps, I'll pray for you. My email is
[e-mail] If you find that you need any more help.

Answer 5

Very good question...."why didn't He let you know?"

the Burning Bush question....God...just show me one sign.

Perhaps He has let you know, but in a way you perhaps thought came from another? (oh no...that's coincidence, nope - science can explain that).

Another analogy...I believe there is a man who is the President of the United States...I also believe he has access to billiions and billions of dollars. So...I will send him an letter and ask him for just a measly million dollars - just to prove he does exist. But I never got it...so...either he does not have the money, or he does not exist.

I'm truly sorry your heart hurt so much you contemplated taking your own life - it says so much about how important this was to you. However, I would ask you this...is answered prayer the "only" way to prove His existance? what if I could show you another way of seeing His hand in all there is? would that spark your interest?

Email stamps will always be free.

† Travelling Prayer Warrior †

Answer 6

Perhaps this Scripture can be a comfort?

20So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.

21Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?"

"From childhood," he answered. 22"It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."

23" 'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."

24Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"

25When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil[a] spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again."

26The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead." 27But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.

Now, I'm not saying you have a demon, lol.

Rather I am saying, that even though we might believe, many times we have periods of unbelief or doubts in our life. It is not that God has not answered your prayers, its that He simply wants you to be close to Him. God will not force something upon you. In this passage Jesus does not force the man to believe, rather he simply points out to the man that he should believe. God is there, ready to hear from you every minute of every day. Just go to Him, and know that He hears you, even if He doesn't answer you in a way you expect.

Answer 7

Good story, but I dont buy it at all. Teenagers just dont do anything an hour a night, every night. Especially set on their knees and pray.
OK if you did this praying as you said then guess what? You were testing God and He said Himself that we are NOT to test Him. The only place in the bible, that I know of, that God says "test Me" is in Malachi when He is speaking about the tithe. And yes you can test him on that and He will open the gates of heaven and pour out to you so much blessings, that you shall not have room enough to receive it.
I know this myself as I did test him and it is true.

Answer 8

It is not God's responsibility to "prove" Himself to any of us. That's where faith comes in. If we are Christian's, we have to have Faith, for without it...it is impossible to see God. We walk by faith, not by sight ( 2 Corinthians 5:7 ). I personally believe that the reason soooo many believers in Christ have now rejected the Lord is their mind-set. You came into your relationship with God, as others do, thinking that it was all about you and how God needs to serve you, make everything easy, and help you believe. But what exactly have you given God? Does your heart break at the things that breaks God's heart? Were you faithful at prayer, giving, bible study, witnessing? How in the world do people think they can know God or find evidence of Him when they give so little of themselves? Jesus loves you deeply, and He so wants to bless your life in unimaginable ways as He desires for all people, but before that happens you have to give Him something....your whole heart. For a heart that is set firmly on the Lord will never waver. Trials and sorrow surely come and go, but we will never quit on the Lord.

Answer 9

If you look at the situation the devil is the one who brings doubt in our minds. The next step that he wanted to take you is to die because you are looking for answer from god. God is real your believe in him is right their because you prayed to him every night he honors that. The one thing I can tell you he may not come when you want him but he is always on time. Did he let you take your life ? NO God bless

Answer 10

Maybe God did answer your prayer you were just too busy looking for the big miracle to see it. I have noticed that God answers all prayers and all questions in his own time frame. I would suggest writing down your prayers and then looking back on them every few months to see what God did answer and how he did it.