Does prayer really work?

[Sower]

6 hours ago, TRlover said:

So does prayer really work?

 

"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."  James 5;16 KJV

Amplified version
"The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much [when put into action and
made effective by God—it is dynamic and can have tremendous power]."   James 5:16 Amplified Bible

"a type of prayer that is “passionate, heartfelt, heated, persistent"     by a believer, doing the right thing

[saved34]

6 hours ago, TRlover said:

So does prayer really work?

I ask because a thing(s) I have asked for all my 36 years of being a Christian(?) have never received anything but NO for an answer.  I put the s by thing because it is especially one thing but several over things that are major but minor compare to the one thing.  The ? by Christian because I ask in the Name of Jesus yet seem to get nothing from God!

Never has a man needed a miracle more than me but all I have to plea is the Blood of Christ.

Prayer is hard work @TRlover. Sometimes it requires great patience, sometimes it may happen instantly. I had an issue I was dealing with for over 20 yrs and God finally delivered me. Scripture says the fervent prayer of a righteous man is very effective. 

Which also means obedience. Doing those things that please our Lord leads to answered prayer. 

1Jn 3:21  Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God

 

1Jn 3:22  and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him.

Joh 15:7  If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

Patience and perseverance are vital as God is building your faith toward him. He will answer in due time. He knows all and sees all. He hears you. Believe it, trust him.

 

1Jn 5:14  This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

 

 

[frienduff thaylorde]

7 hours ago, Sonshine☀️ said:

Greetings, TR …  Please don’t be disheartened.  Life here on earth is hard, but one thing we can depend on are His promises. 

Jer. 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Ps. 138:8 The Lord will [a]perfect that which concerns me;
Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands.

Only our Father knows us truly, and He hears and answers our prayers according to His will for us.  As best you can, consider how the Lord has worked in your life in the past and how He has taken care of you and lead you along the way.  He loves you so much and He will never leave you nor forsake you.  Try to be strong and very courageous, like He wants you to be.  

1 Tim. 6:12  Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

Shine on, TR

 

 

We do suffer things .   Trophimus was quite sick and so was the other man whose name starts with an E .

But the LORD has given us a hope that can endure anything .    And that HOPE IS IN JESUS CHRIST .

I mean just ponder on that .     Instead of what we deserved , a death sentence ,  GOD sent grace instead .  THAT all who do believe from the heart

and confess with the mouth the LORD JESUS shall be saved .  And our fruits are evidence of whom we follow and trust in and have childlike faith  in .

I remind us all,  ONE DAY all who believed and endured faithful to the end  ,  THEY GONNA be SINGING massive praises to the LORD on HIS DAY and just rejoicing

over and over again .     And we , who are His ,  Have all  hope .   

We are rich ,  for our treasure IS JESUS and no matter what we go through or what we lose , HE IS ALWAYS WITH US and will take care of us

even on our bed of sickness and through all times , even prison , persecution and death , THE LORD IS WITH US .

ITS time for a complete and total PRAISE fest to the LORD .    SO HANDS UP ,  HANDS UP and PRAISE THE LORD .    For as I love to say , IT flat

out don't matter what time of day or night it is ,   ITS TIME TO PRAISE THE LORD .

[frienduff thaylorde]

7 hours ago, Tampered With said:

Yes, prayer always works. We just don't always understand or like the answer. 

Yes ,  but we can understand this too .   NO matter what comes against those who LOVE HIM ,   No matter what we suffered

TWO THINGS .    ITS ALL GAIN to know HIM MORE and HE works all things together for good unto those who LOVE HIM .

The way I see it ,   ITS TIME FOR A TOTAL PRAISE FEST TO THE LORD .   But then , ITS ALWAYS TIME TO PRAISE THE LORD .

 

[frienduff thaylorde]

And I can see that sister of the Son that shines , does agree .    TIME TO PUT THOSE HANDS UP and JUST PRAISE THE LORD with total joy in HIM .

The apostels sang IN PRISON , because ALL HOPE WAS IN HIM and rejoiced they did when suffering shame for HIS NAME .

A greatful heart KNOWS two things .   A .   WHO SAVED IT .

and B , ITS GONNA PRAISE THE ONE WHO SAVED IT .   THAT WOULD BE JESUS CHRIST .   SO PUT THOSE HANDS UP and LET a festival of great praise and much thanksgiving

be made UNTO THE LORD .

[lftc]

@frienduff thaylorde

When we cross the barrier of death and stand (and fall) in the presence of the King,  I want to stand next to you and hear you sing.

[johnthebaptist]

14 hours ago, TRlover said:

So does prayer really work?

I ask because a thing(s) I have asked for all my 36 years of being a Christian(?) have never received anything but NO for an answer.  I put the s by thing because it is especially one thing but several over things that are major but minor compare to the one thing.  The ? by Christian because I ask in the Name of Jesus yet seem to get nothing from God!

Never has a man needed a miracle more than me but all I have to plea is the Blood of Christ.

If today I pray for a million dollars and tomorrow I pray to be elected president of the United States, and the next day I pray to be more handsome than I am, and none of my wishes come true, I suppose I could say prayer doesn't work. But if I walk with the Lord and am in constant prayer, as Paul instructs (1 Thess 5:17), I think I would find that prayer does work.

[JTC]

Of course praying works but if you were told you can have anything you want that's not true. That's false teaching or at best poor teaching. Prayer simply means talking to God. Sit down and have a heart to heart with God. He wants us to do that. He already knows what you'll say but He wants to hear it from you. There's no guarantee you'll get what you want but what do you lose to pray this way.

[lftc]

14 hours ago, TRlover said:

So does prayer really work?

I ask because a thing(s) I have asked for all my 36 years of being a Christian(?) have never received anything but NO for an answer.  I put the s by thing because it is especially one thing but several over things that are major but minor compare to the one thing.  The ? by Christian because I ask in the Name of Jesus yet seem to get nothing from God!

Never has a man needed a miracle more than me but all I have to plea is the Blood of Christ.

From this and your other posts, I think you are expereincing a common issue.

However, it can be hard to discuss such things in an open forum as there are some that do not comprehend grace.

You stand at a point of decision.  You have been at a similar point every day for many years. Since you plea the Blood of Jesus, I assume you are at a place where your "no" answered prayer requires Grace from God if there is not a "Yes" answer.

What I find remarkable about Paul's similar prayer (besides all the scrambling in many doctrines to obscure it) is that he prayed it only 3 times.  That is astonishing faith.  Those who truly live by the rules, instead of living by a subset of the rules, quickly come to the same place of praying that prayer.  The Pharisees were at that same place, but took the rules based approach to resolution. Hence the tremendous meaning in Jesus' parable of the new wineskins.  One of the most startling parables.

Paul, the "chief among sinners" as he described himself in one of his LAST letters, had the faith to trust God, when God said His stength is perfected in weakness.  Paul, who was caught up to the third heaven (assuming it was to himself he referred).  Weak.

You've tried the path of waiting for God to say "yes" by removing the issue.  Now maybe it is time to try the other approach.  Trust that the Death of Jesus the Christ is the answer.  God already said yes.  Fall in love with him.  Let the bridegroom clothe you in beautiful white robes that he made himself.  Every bride rejoices when her bridegroom adorns her to make her beautiful. Accept the adornment as it is what he wants.

If I totally misunderstood - I offer my apology: maybe it is useful for someone.  It is for me.

 

[JohnD]

15 hours ago, TRlover said:

So does prayer really work?

I ask because a thing(s) I have asked for all my 36 years of being a Christian(?) have never received anything but NO for an answer.  I put the s by thing because it is especially one thing but several over things that are major but minor compare to the one thing.  The ? by Christian because I ask in the Name of Jesus yet seem to get nothing from God!

Never has a man needed a miracle more than me but all I have to plea is the Blood of Christ.

Prayer does work. When we perceive otherwise, it is more of a glass half full / half empty premise. 

I feel for those whose prayers appear to fall on deaf divine ears. Or when the answers is a flat "No."

It's very flippant of us to respond with "It's GOD'S kingdom and HIS will... so learn to live with it..." or

some such verbiage. God is a loving God. A compassionate God. But he also has his reasons for doing or not

doing things. And (ironically) he sends us his people to comfort one another (1 Thessalonians 4:18)... and more 

often than not we rub salt into each other's wounds.

I pray for you in Jesus name. 

Keep the big picture in mind.

God bless and be with you!!!!!!