Why does God answer some prayers and not others?

[locationforna]

Just this really.

If you are a Christian, please can you tell me why God answers some peoples prayers and not others?

For example, one woman could be praying her baby survives. Baby dies. Another woman with the exact same situation of an unwell baby - Baby lives. Both prayed, they prayed a lot

Why is it you say 'God is good' and 'God does answer, this is a miracle' and 'we are praying for you'

Do you really think that if the first person prayed hard enough, her baby would've survived? Or if not, and it's just chance, why pray?

I believe in God by the way. I have been studying for a while and seem to lean towards Judaism but notice a lot of 'God is good, he answered my prayers. It's a miracle'

Why some prayers and not others? Why do people think He's helped you get a job offer you really wanted but not answered a woman across the road's prayer not to be raped?

There is suffering throughout the Bible. Jesus himself suffered according to the Bible. That's not what I mean - I mean specially, why some prayers can be answered and not others that are equally in need?

@Letitrainletitrainletitrain I'd say so too. I have been watching (okay not historically accurate) drama called The Chosen. It baffles me how so much time has past and yet humans are just not that great still, with hardly any lessons learned, and not much in the way of when this will all end and the plan will be clear

However, I also know from studying a little that we as humans can't comprehend what eternity means, and time is nothing to God as he is eternity as was the first being, here before even the galaxies. So really we haven't been here a long time at all

So With this in mind, I just don't know

That's what I think - surely the prayed 'Lord, I do not ask you to change what is planned. I only ask for the strength to endure and accept it' surely that makes more sense? I'm sure there's a more official sounding prayer just like it actually

He was not a believer

He was bought up in a religious family but stopped believing when he was 12 in the sort of god you are referring to. He believed in the underlying order of things but that's all, he referred to himself as agnostic

I mean time as eternity and and an all knowing being that doesn't see our flashes of time makes sense, but I still don't understand how millions of dead babies can possibly fit into a plan within all of that. An eternity of dying babies?

I can't have babies because of an abnormality I was born with and honestly some of the most offensive comments have been that this is 'part of God's plan for me' usually said by people who have sailed through having as many children as they want.

If this is God's plan I want none of it. I apologise because I appreciate you do believe in God. But I cannot.

Interested in the posts here.

My parents are very religious, Christian, Scotland. We did Sunday Scotland, lost interest.

I couldn't have children, twenty years trying, many losses, ivf failed.

In lockdown I had two.

The community rallied, and i lost my mind with post natal anxiety.

Two plus years on, your question triggers that, why them?

The only answer my very patient and kind, as a person minister could give me, was, another plan.

So did that mean my multiple babies were lost because they would have caused great destruction, or did it mean I was being punished, or did it mean I didn't pray hard enough, or did it mean my current children are here because they wouldn't have been, had the others not been lost.

I have absolutely no idea.

But I now take comfort in the community, the peace, the support and the friendship, regardless of my individual beliefs

Just in case anyone reads this and knows more than me (likely!), does anyone else find Judaism more intellectual sounding and in depth than Christianity? The way things are explained and detailed is really quite interesting, and more of a 'studying' type of vibe

I was raised a Catholic. I was confirmed at 15. My great grandmother was a Jew. I am drawn to Judaism ✡️ but I can't say aloud 'Jesus is not the Son of God'. I feel awful to say it. I can't say it. I am wondering if this is out of love for him that I should be paying attention to from the heart, or just conditioning of Jesus being spoken about throughout childhood

My mum is now a Baptist and I found it really hard to hear her church relishing the opportunity to say that their prayers to save my daughter worked, and that God was so good, look at this miracle. But my last two babies suffered and died. Why didn't it work then? It is something I don't understand

So I guess my main issue with Christianity isn't that God doesn't exist. I do believe there's a God. I just know it to be true. But I don't understand praying for things and saying it was granted when it comes true

Judaism seems to be quite clear that there are no 'miracles' in life

I don't think God gets involved at all. He's not up there deciding X can live but Y can't. Otherwise why would God let serial killers or child abusers exist?
Prayers 'being answered' is more due to medical intervention, luck, individual circumstances etc.

Just realised I went completely off topic and waffling on! Apologies everyone

If I believed god existed I would say they didn't answer prayers in that way; selectively, randomly, saving and granting mercy.

@spidereggs I am really sorry

Because "god" doesn't exist so has nothing at all to do with babies dying, or anything else.

You're asking a question that sounds like it wants a logical answer. But if you look for logic in religion, you end up at atheism.

Belief in a supernatural power is not logical. It's lots of other good things - community-building, comforting, inspiring - but it makes no kind of sense.

When I was a believer and losing my son in labour, I prayed for hours and hours to this god entity. My healthy son was born but died shortly after.

he doesn’t exist.

Lots of interesting points made on this thread. Religious people have some quite interesting answers and perspectives, if you listen to what they say rather than what you think they believe.

In my own case, Prayer has a much bigger purpose than wish fulfilment.
When I pray, all sorts of things happen- I tend to feel better about a situation, perhaps more reconciled to it or perhaps with a better understanding of it. I am a better person as a result of prayer- I generally find that I become more tolerant and have more insight. I am likely to have an idea about how I can make a situation better- handle it differently, help in some way.

You could interpret those improvements as acts of God, or acts inspired by God, or just a personal meditation process.

When someone receives prayer and something unlikely happens- miraculous healing, for example- I tend to think something damaging has been released in some way. Our brains interfere with our bodies all the time. Not all disabilities and illnesses are rational. There are studies into somatic (?) illness. There's a book called our bodies keep the score which describes how trauma and stress damage us physically.

There's a lot to think about- I've had every single thought expressed by PPs. We make a choice about what we do/believe. I make the choice that makes sense for me.

@Letitrainletitrainletitrain I am really really sorry. That is awful. Life is cruel.

So many things make me wonder how God can exist, and if I'm truthful, I sometimes think for now that he does exist but I really don't like him!

For example, I saw a documentary about children who had gone missing and turned out to be dead eventually. The most horrific was a mother who knew her child was indeed alive, but he was on this intractable child porn website and couldn't be tracked down. So she knew he was alive, yet worse still she knew he was being abused (who knows to what extent), yet she could only look on helplessly

Like a window into her own child's suffering. Suffering he could be freed from if he was located And she could give no comfort. I can think of nothing worse

Interesting. What is the bigger picture if there is one? If everybody is forgiven all of their sins if they repent then why do little children die when they haven't had a chance to sin? Confusing 🤔

It's difficult isn't it?

God doesn't determine who lives and dies.
Death is random.

Prayer is a lucky charm, in that praying to God that someone lives, and that someone does live , means that your prayer has been answered therefore God exists.

When you pray to God for someone to live, and they die... the natural response is that it was God's will.
So he exists.

Remove God from both of those scenarios.
You get the same results.

You can only hope that someone lives or dies.
If you believe that hope is God then that's fine.

No prayers are answered. It's just coincidence and confirmation bias.

To take a Christian persepctive, doesn't the bit in the new testament that introduces the lord's prayer say not to ask for things?

I'm not questioning if God exists. I am saying he does. I am specifically looking for logic of man himself insisting God has answers their prayers when they've prayed

Basically humans wrote all the books, ego a bunch of tall stories, maybe nice stories in some of the biblical stories and good philosophy lessons with some, but other than that, the books are no gateway to area 51

I would say on that level, it seems easier to answer - children are going to a better place and as man we need to appreciate that this life isn't the end

Christians seem to have a lot of ideas and comfort in heaven but Judaism doesn't really seem to mention it

The focus is very much on this life and the good you do in this life

I was going to make a really sarcastic post about God getting distracted from all the dead babies as it’s easy for that to happen on a busy morning. But my heart’s not in it.
The short answer is that there are no gods and never have been. There’s just the random, crushing capriciousness of nature. It’s not personal.

Ecc 9:11
The swift do not always win the race, nor do the mighty win the battle, nor do the wise always have the food, nor do the intelligent always have the riches, nor do those with knowledge always have success, because time and unexpected events overtake them all

Sometimes bad things just happen

Ah, ok.
No, God has never answered any of my queries.
He came into my life in my 20s, via my mum. She has spent the last nearly 40 years , guilt ridden, fearful and angry. And spends at least two hours a day reading prayers and scripts that don't even comfort her. But she must because God will be angry if she doesn't.

I think Religion is a form of meditation and mental health treatment. It's good for those interested in it. Others may seek it in sports, gym or following a hobby