Many have pondered over this question, but few have come to some certain conclusions. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a Theologian in Hitler's Germany was an exception. In his Letters and Papers from Prison, he wrote that “God would have us know that we must live as men who manage our lives without him.” This was because God did not answer his fervent prayers for peace, and he died in prison.
Of course his response is typical of Christian Apology: when evidence does not support the theory, make up a reason for it so the doctrines are safe. After all, to question doctrine was considered treason, and at various times Christians were put to death for it, or worse, excommunicated.
Myself, coming from a Judaic-Christian upbringing, I am still often caught by my earliest teachings, for example, by habit, I still think of God as a male figure. I now know this is idiotic, but I have to think twice to remember that "God" is "The Force of the Universes" or "The Infinite." In these cases, there continues to be the dualistic error as well: the idea that I am here and God is out there. So it would be better the say "All that I am aware of and not aware of" instead of the word "God."
I also realize that it is impossible to know where I end, and God begins. This means that I am an Atheist because I do not believe God is "outside of me" and it means that I am a Theist, because God does live inside me. Nevertheless, we're stuck in a dualistic world, with dualistic language, so communication without dualistic concepts is impossible.
So the question "does God answer prayer" is first based on many assumptions we take for granted. We assume we are here, and God is out there. We assume that we are a body and that our eyes see, our ears hear, our fingers touch. These ideas we take for granted as truths yet they can not be proven. We assume we are powerless, and God is all powerful, that we are faulty and God is perfect.
Our prayers of requests are mostly about things we believe are on this earth: our personal body, our personal situation, our personal relationships; our friends; our acquaintances, our country, and maybe others.
Our prayers of thanks to God are also about things we believe are here on this earth, things about our person, our personal situation, our friends, etc.
Our prayers of requests are mostly about things we believe are on this earth: our personal body, our personal situation, our personal relationships; our friends; our acquaintances, our country, and maybe others.
Our prayers of thanks to God are also about things we believe are here on this earth, things about our person, our personal situation, our friends, etc.
If we are imagining all this, as we dream at night, then supplicating (or thanking) our God for "stuff", is also is imaginary. We imagine our needs, we imagine our wants, we make our requests with fervency etc. and sometimes we get what we want, sometimes we get something else, and at other times we don't get a response.
When we get what we want, we feel wonderful. When we don't, we feel bad.
Of course the mind wants to see that it is right, and wants to see itself as "the special one" it believes itself to be, so even in it's seeing the results of prayer, it looks through a "crooked glass."
For example, if we prayed for peace in the neighbourhood and a white cat walked across the road in front of us, we would think that God has answered our prayer and sent us a good omen.
When we get what we want, we feel wonderful. When we don't, we feel bad.
Of course the mind wants to see that it is right, and wants to see itself as "the special one" it believes itself to be, so even in it's seeing the results of prayer, it looks through a "crooked glass."
For example, if we prayed for peace in the neighbourhood and a white cat walked across the road in front of us, we would think that God has answered our prayer and sent us a good omen.
If we don't get what we want, we can rationalize that God is too busy with the bigger problems of the world, or that he has gotten very old and falls asleep at the job, or that he is limited by the very laws that govern our experience, or that we are not good enough, or we asked for something bad for us, or that we didn't use the right formula in our prayers etc.
At times in your life, you may change your religion, in the belief that the new doctrines or the new incantations will bring you more success. You might go back to the source religions and become a fundamental Jew, Christian, or Muslim. We see this phenomenon happening today as people try harder to connect with this idea of a God outside of themselves.
I propose instead that you rethink the idea of you, the idea of God, and the idea that the two are separate. ACIM says there is only one problem, and one solution. The problem is that you think you are separate from God. The solution is that you are not.
ACIM also says that this world was made by us to hide from God and His wrath. It says that we experienced tremendous guilt when we separated from Him, became fearful, and created this imagined universe as a projection from our mind.
Certainly the world seems like it is based on murder and death. All life seems to exist by eating other life. To live, creatures must kill. Men too live this way. While we don't often kill our our tribe members, we do kill other animals, or other tribes.
The problem is that we believe we are separate from God: the All. The solution is, that we are not. Given this, does The All answer prayer?
Given that we are One with god, prayer makes no sense. Does God talk to Himself? We often do, so if He is anthropomorphic then so does He. <smile> But I think not. We simply come to realize that prayer without duality doesn't mean anything.
The beautiful pamphlet called the "Ladder of Prayer" which was dictated to Helen Schucman after ACIM was dictated, discusses this subject. AT the bottom of the ladder, we can not help but pray from littleness, asking for things. As we develop up the ladder, we realize that the world is an illusion and reflects our thoughts. More and more we want to change our thoughts. Our prayers become more silent and less driven by "wants" but rather attraction for Truth. We come to realize that the world will never give us what we really want, and further that we are simply using it to hide from Truth.
"Prayer becomes a song of joy that the creation sings to the Father, and the Father sings to to Son."
"You first forgive, then pray, and you are healed. Your prayer has risen up and called to God, Who hears and answers. You have understood that you forgive and pray but for yourself. And in this understanding you are healed. In prayer you have united with your source, and understood that you have never left. This level cannot be attained until there is no hatred in your heart, and no desire to attack the Son of God." IV.4
ACIM also says that this world was made by us to hide from God and His wrath. It says that we experienced tremendous guilt when we separated from Him, became fearful, and created this imagined universe as a projection from our mind.
Certainly the world seems like it is based on murder and death. All life seems to exist by eating other life. To live, creatures must kill. Men too live this way. While we don't often kill our our tribe members, we do kill other animals, or other tribes.
The problem is that we believe we are separate from God: the All. The solution is, that we are not. Given this, does The All answer prayer?
Given that we are One with god, prayer makes no sense. Does God talk to Himself? We often do, so if He is anthropomorphic then so does He. <smile> But I think not. We simply come to realize that prayer without duality doesn't mean anything.
The beautiful pamphlet called the "Ladder of Prayer" which was dictated to Helen Schucman after ACIM was dictated, discusses this subject. AT the bottom of the ladder, we can not help but pray from littleness, asking for things. As we develop up the ladder, we realize that the world is an illusion and reflects our thoughts. More and more we want to change our thoughts. Our prayers become more silent and less driven by "wants" but rather attraction for Truth. We come to realize that the world will never give us what we really want, and further that we are simply using it to hide from Truth.
"Prayer becomes a song of joy that the creation sings to the Father, and the Father sings to to Son."
"You first forgive, then pray, and you are healed. Your prayer has risen up and called to God, Who hears and answers. You have understood that you forgive and pray but for yourself. And in this understanding you are healed. In prayer you have united with your source, and understood that you have never left. This level cannot be attained until there is no hatred in your heart, and no desire to attack the Son of God." IV.4