When you prayed did it ever work?

[Drich]

If prayer is about following God's will/direction, what is the praying for?

Following the direction of God is the effect of prayer. The purpose of Prayer is to change your heart to want what God wants for you. (which goes back to the why I do not pray for world peace. We all have to pray for it, and could you imagine the clamity that would need to take place inorder to change every heart on the planet?)

When you pray are you asking for guidance?

Sometimes yes. For me I have been blessed in that I have been given clear direction. My prayers center around my pride and my selfishness. I often see these two things as the biggest obsticals in what is preventing me from moving forward.

In that case, once again, how do you know you've received it?

Sometimes you don't. Othertimes a big trial results in humility or result in giving.

Whether it's a fulfilled wish or a response in a request for guidance, in both cases, how do you know that your prayer has been answered?

I know this may sound hokey but when I ask for guidance on something I will usally hear a sermon on it or one of you will ask a question (often time unrelated) and in my research i will find an absolute answer or direction. If I am in a tight spot and can get guideance the normal way, God has been know to send someone to me with direction or a word of encouragement. Often times out of the blue.

As far as helping me with a character issue a trial/hardship is usally the result. Those are very difficult to miss. how do I know the difference between a purposed trial and just some random bad thing that happens? It usally ends shortly after I do what it is I am supposed to do or their is usally a direct correlation between what I am having to endure and something that happened as a result of the character trait i am trying to work out.