Have you heard people say they've prayed many times and never been answered in their requests, so they don't pray anymore? I've heard several persons saying something like that and someone said it to me, recently. I imagine that many must be going through this, in this period of the pandemic, with so many people getting sick and dying. I think it is natural to be disappointed when we pray with great fervor asking God a grace and do not obtain it. I am not an expert on the subject, but I have some idea of how to understand this, for those who have faith.
I was talking about this issue. For what purpose do we pray? Prayer is not intended to ask for earthly favors. I meant that we can even ask and reach them, occasionally, but this is not the intention, even if some request is included. The intention is trying to uplift people's souls and ask the same thing for others'. In fact, I was unable to explain what my heart was intuiting.
I was reading an opinion about the film Fatima, released in August, and I found an explanation better than mine, although it is not an analysis of the most enthusiastic. .[1] "Pourquoi prie-t-on ? Quels sont le sens et le but de notre prière ? Est-ce que je ne passe qu’une commande ou suis-je en train d’établir une relation profonde avec Dieu ?" We pray in order to establish a deep relationship with God.
Having faith is a dynamic process, constantly evolving. We have to be aware of that. We need to nurture this process and prayer is an effective way. There are stages, phases, particularities, all of which extensively documented by many saints. I haven't read a thousandth of everything written about it. I am following the first steps of this path and I already feel changes in me.
The best for us is not always what we want and we only understand it later. Sometimes it happens that we receive consolations and even graces. Nothing is our particular merit. We are all shaped to receive them; it is about opening the door of our heart to God.
For those who think that believing in God is like believing in “imaginary friends” and that believing in graces received is “magical thinking”, it would be absurd to speak of prayer (would it?). This is not my goal and I have no arguments beyond those which have been historically and exhaustively propagated. Nor am I daring to address these words of mine to completely unbelieving people, with their extensive cultural and scientific background which, in their view, are incompatible with faith. I think that our “point of view” is very different. We are called to pray for them too.
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Related links:
[1] Fatima: un cliché qui fait penser
[2] The suffering
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