Why Does God Only Answer Some Prayers?
Does the “more Christian” a person is affect if prayers are answered? Why do some receive healing and others don’t? Does God only answer some prayers?
Excerpt From The Answer
I think many in the evangelical fundamental camp are as leery of saying, ‘God answered this prayer and healed this person or God provided a job’ as those who are more charismatic and experiential would say why wouldn’t you believe that? It’s almost like the Spirit and truth argument. The truth in scripture tells me one thing, but God’s Spirit is working in ways that we can’t measure or quantify.
So I want to be open to the scripture but I’m always going to guard against experience. All I would say is it does seem like God experientially delights in answering little kids prayers. We hear these stories a lot. We’re glad it teaches the child something. But, you know, it also teaches the child that they pray and God doesn’t, “give them what they want.” Delayed gratification is a hard thing to learn.
Nobody likes patience or delayed gratification. So I don’t want to put God in a box in those constraints. We are enjoined to pray. The whole psalter is a book of prayers. Don’t minimize the importance of it or overwork it. Don’t overthink it, but don’t be simple in the way you approach it. You’re speaking to the God of the universe. Just remember that. You wouldn’t say, hey, let’s grab a cup of coffee, you know. You’re talking to the most intelligent, most powerful, most wise Being ever. What are you going to ask Him or petition Him?
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