Share Your Untestimony: Prayers that God didn't Answer

[Fidel_Castronaut]

So GC, in your view our 'requests' through prayers have been 'selfish', but you asking for God to intervene in your dad isn't? How is it any different exactly? All the billions of people in the world and you ask for him to help *you* and your father specifically?

I am glad, however, that your father was able to see those that he loved before he died, and I am glad you are comforted by that. I've been through it before with siblings and it is never nice.

[MTL]

I can't help but wonder about the prayers that were  in the very process of being uttered by the devout Catholic pilgrims who were marching in that religious procession in Mexico, back in July, when a truck plowed into them and killed 23, including a four-year-old girl, and injured 50.

A magic number of believers have to be killed before Jesus returns so the 23 added to that number.  So far it's still not enough.

Ah, of course.  Silly me.

[Anomalocaris]

My cousin suffered multiple miscarriages because of fibroids. The last time she got pregnant, we were doing a three-way with my sister and decided to pray for her. My sister led the prayer. I never knew my sister could pray like that. It was a fervent, effectual prayer, the kind the Bible says availeth much. I thought for sure if god answered any prayer, it would be that one. My cousin lost that baby in the most emotionally painful miscarriage she’d ever had. Nothing was said about the prayer. They just swept it under the rug and I wondered if I was the only one who noticed how lumpy that rug was becoming.

One day, my cousin was sitting in church during baby dedications. The pastor, bless his heart, was trying to encourage the parents to be good parents, telling them god had entrusted them with the little souls. He was just trying to encourage them, but my cousin took it as an indictment. She ran out of the church in tears convinced that the reason she could not have a baby was because god did not trust her.

She never asked why, if god were in the business of keeping untrustworthy women from having babies, why was her husband’s daughter allowed to be born. Her husband’s daughter was beat up by her other’s lesbian lover. Why god want to pick on my little cousin?  “Oh she’s a particularly bad woman. We better not let her have any kids.”

God will answer your prayers about little stupid things that you could do for yourself, but the one’s he doesn’t answer are the ones where people are really hurting, really in need and have nothing else that they can do.

I’m tired of Christians giving their testimonies that do nothing but show how screwed up their priorities are. I want to hear the untestimonies of those who asked god for something that any loving god would have granted.

I saved myself the trouble by never praying.

[Rhondazvous]

Didn't pray a lot as a Christian, for various reasons at different times, but I would always become a praying fool whenever I heard of a child going missing. I figured if God answers no other prayers, he would surely answer those to save a child, suffering at the bottom of the world. I would pray for their families, especially the parents because they were suffering a fate worse than death, in not knowing.

This is a good way to pray, first asking for restoration if it be in His will and then to pray for those who are effected by the event, asking God to be with them no matter the outcome, to bring His comfort and His peace and understanding to those who need it.
GC

What is the point of god being with someone if it's not going to affect the outcome? I can get comfort and peace from anywhere

WHATSOEVER things YOU DESIRE when you pray believe that you receive them and you shall have them. and when you stand praying, forgive...

That's all he said is required—believing and forgiving. It's because that obviously isn't true that you have to come in with all these additional unbiblical requirements.

The Bible is a work in progress. You and other Christians rewrite it and add to it everyday.

[Rhondazvous]

My cousin suffered multiple miscarriages because of fibroids. The last time she got pregnant, we were doing a three-way with my sister and decided to pray for her. My sister led the prayer. I never knew my sister could pray like that. It was a fervent, effectual prayer, the kind the Bible says availeth much. I thought for sure if god answered any prayer, it would be that one. My cousin lost that baby in the most emotionally painful miscarriage she’d ever had. Nothing was said about the prayer. They just swept it under the rug and I wondered if I was the only one who noticed how lumpy that rug was becoming.

One day, my cousin was sitting in church during baby dedications. The pastor, bless his heart, was trying to encourage the parents to be good parents, telling them god had entrusted them with the little souls. He was just trying to encourage them, but my cousin took it as an indictment. She ran out of the church in tears convinced that the reason she could not have a baby was because god did not trust her.

She never asked why, if god were in the business of keeping untrustworthy women from having babies, why was her husband’s daughter allowed to be born. Her husband’s daughter was beat up by her other’s lesbian lover. Why god want to pick on my little cousin?  “Oh she’s a particularly bad woman. We better not let her have any kids.”

God will answer your prayers about little stupid things that you could do for yourself, but the one’s he doesn’t answer are the ones where people are really hurting, really in need and have nothing else that they can do.

I’m tired of Christians giving their testimonies that do nothing but show how screwed up their priorities are. I want to hear the untestimonies of those who asked god for something that any loving god would have granted.

I saved myself the trouble by never praying.

At time, I didn't know better.

I used to have one of those copies of Picasso's painting of Jesus with the olive skin and 3 Musketeers hair cut. Then I noticed whenever I prayed, I would inevitably look at the painting. So I took it don.

[Thumpalumpacus]

Why should your god answer any prayer?
Because it says so, in your Bible, numbnuts.

[Athene]

Didn't pray a lot as a Christian, for various reasons at different times, but I would always become a praying fool whenever I heard of a child going missing. I figured if God answers no other prayers, he would surely answer those to save a child, suffering at the bottom of the world. I would pray for their families, especially the parents because they were suffering a fate worse than death, in not knowing.

This is a good way to pray, first asking for restoration if it be in His will and then to pray for those who are effected by the event, asking God to be with them no matter the outcome, to bring His comfort and His peace and understanding to those who need it.

I'm far from the foolish person you want to believe I am. My rely was to those who stated what they had prayed for and not one until after my post said anything about praying for God to be with those effected through whatever the circumstance might be. Those who as Christians prayed for world peace did not read their Bibles, if they had they would have seen that world peace was never a possibility. Praying for peace in one's own life, in the life of another or for peace in a community, those are all prayers with the possibility of being answered. God never promised an answer to anyone's prayer, let lone answer every pray in the affirmative. There are things that God want answer in the affirmative because they would go against His ultimate will (unchanging will). Tell me why should God answer anyone's prayers, what requirement is there that the creator of universe should have to answer every pray, especially the way we would what them answered? The omniscient God of creation knows what's best for His creation and, it being His I would think He has the right to do what He knows is best. Answer me this, the prayers you said you prayed in the above, were they answered, do you know and do you know whether God answered them in a way that suited the situation for those particular people in a better way than you asked?  I'm ignoring your other post, because I truly do not believe you understood what I was saying in my first post, I stated what I did so someone would have a reaction to it and several did. This allowed me to answer the reactions without there being a bunch of rubbish to filter through, they made simple statements and so there is nothing but a simple explanation to give. This post is in answer to all those who responded to my first post. Let me ask another question of you, do you think it's possible for God to answer to the affirmative to all prayers and do you think it's possible for God to answer to the affirmative to all the prayers concerning one particular situation? Please think this over very carefully before you answer, I don't care if it takes until some time next week. This question is only for you, I want reply to anyone else who tries to answer it. I know you do not believe in God and I know you'll have to assume God exists to answer my questions, I'm hoping you will make that assumption.

A little story for you also, one that brings back a great amount of pain every time I think of it. When my dad was very ill in 2001 and we were pretty sure he would no recover, I had a mother and sister to think of foremost and the many others who loved my dad deeply. I prayed to God first of all to heal dad if it were in His will, then continuing I asked God if this was outside His will to take dad quickly so that he wouldn't suffer and to be with my family and all the others who cared so much for him. Dad had always asked us not to allow him to be put on any machines that would keep him alive unnaturally, he didn't want to suffer through a prolonged illness and especially didn't want us to suffer watching him slowly die. God answered my prayer and dad's wishes in the next few days, dad lived till the last member of the family arrived at the hospital to speak with him, one he cared for deeply and within a couple of hours he was gone. It's not easy to ask God to take someone you love so much and one who made a great mark on and in many people lives and could have continued to if it were in God's will, but that's what I did, because dad loved me so much and I wasn't going to deny his love for my selfish reasons. Maybe you can't understand this and if not that's okay, because it's only important that I and my family do.

GC

If your prayer is answered, that means god truly answers prayers..........Yay!
If your prayer is answered 20 years later, that means god still answers prayers-  not on your timing, but his because he still had work to do in you...Yay!
If your prayer is not answered, then god has a good reason or it's not his will. He has another plan for you.....Yay!
If your prayer is not answered AND something really horrible as a result, then god is testing you.......Yay!

Every possible scenario and outcome ends up being a net positive, when you engage in magical thinking. How fucking convenient.

Good grief, GC. 
There's no one up there.

[Salacious B. Crumb]

How did I know some theist would come on here, and accuse someone of praying selfishly. How did I know?? That's why I didn't bother posting a story.

Theists use their answered selfish prayers as evidence that their prayers get answered, when someone else's prayers don't get answered, they accuse you of being selfish. lol I wish they could see their logic....

[Rhondazvous]

How did I know some theist would come on here, and accuse someone of praying selfishly. How did I know?? That's why I didn't bother posting a story.

Theists use their answered selfish prayers as evidence that their prayers get answered, when someone else's prayers don't get answered, they accuse you of being selfish. lol I wish they could see their logic....

How could you not know?

[brewer]

Stopped praying rather early. Most of my adolescent prayers revolved around sex. Can I please see those in real life, please let her swim suit top fall off, please let me sneak out of her house with out the parents catching me, second base, third base, on and on. Some of these requests came true. I prefer to credit persistence rather than prayer.

Well GC, that should offend you on two levels.