My new friend, who feels depressed, asks how God answers prayers.
Here is my reply:
In my opinion, we ourselves BECOME the answer to our prayers. Praying can be like asking for a handout sometimes. Such handout charity can be weakening rather than empowering. We can become needy and dependent, and look for another handout.
Charity can weaken us, but becoming charitable can empower us.
Here is an example. Suppose I feel lonely. I pray for a friend, for companionship, but no one comes. My prayer is not answered.
But, suppose I actively seek out someone who is lonely and in need of a friend. Suppose I become that friend. Well, then, perhaps I have answered someone else's prayer.
I have much power to change myself. I have little power to change others.
We who live in a free modern society have much already. We have good educations. We have clean drinking water. We have access to medical care.
What do natives pray for in a rain forest? I don't know. Does anyone? Perhaps they do not pray. Perhaps they hunt each day for the food they require.
Is it not possible, conceivable that someone might have everything, and still be unhappy, like an Elvis or a Marilyn Monroe or a Curt Cobain?
Hey, can I repost this on another site? The site I'm hoping to post on doesn't allow outside links.
I liked what you said but I would like to add something to it.
Allah/God answers prayers all the time. As you think it, you don't have to be in a certain posture, and it doesn't have to be a certain time of day, when you heart opens and it crys
Allah/God hears it. In fact before you think it, he knows it. We are confused when we think that all answers from Allah are "yes" answers. Then we say, "he did not answer" sometimes the answer is "no." How do you know? What we think is coincidence or repeating patterns despite prayer is an answer. Do you pray for a man or woman to love you yet you don't find love? The anser to that prayer is wait. Because you know God wants us all to have love, so he will not, I repeat deny what he promises in his word to you. The second piece of understanding prayer and when its answered is knowing God and his promises in other words its the same as knowing your own "good and perfect" father here on earth, you "know" his basic responses and how he thinks so you don't have to ask repeatedly. Those who don't know about prayer often think its sort of a system where you put a dime in and bingo out comes a bunch of dollars. It doesn't work that way. Prayer is waiting, sometimes alot of waiting. Sometimes there is no answer.
And sometimes the answer is in front of you and you have to open your eyes and see and hear what God is telling you.