In order for prayer to be efficacious, one must be praying in the Will of the Lord.
God listens to all of us, good and bad alike. He is merciful. However, today, because of a request from a person to pray for something about which I was uncomfortable, I began to wonder what does God do when people pray for evil things?
If someone is in sanctifying grace yet in ignorance, I would hope that the Holy Spirit does change their hearts and minds.
This has happened to me. I was praying about something for a long time and finally realized the prayer request was not in the Will of God. I changed my prayers.But, what happens when a person does not change the prayers, or for some reason, does not realize their prayer is not in God's Will?
Or, could it be that in the mystery of evil, which we are now experiencing across the West, that God allows this evil to proliferate for the greater good?
Don't be misled--you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant." Galatians 6:7.
Here are two examples. I met some conservative, even traditional people who prayed that Obama would win the election. As they are in Europe, they did not have, necessarily the benefit of all the information we have in the States. One was a good nun, who was ignorant of the reality of Obama's long history of anti-life support.
She was horrified when I told here to truth of the man.
But, why did the Holy Spirit not inspire her to pray otherwise? Why is it that even in her ignorance, the Trinity did not give her knowledge?
The other person was a lay person who did not understand the same issue. I do think the laity of any country have the duty to find out the truth. But, he did not.
And, a third example on a different topic. One young woman was praying to marry a certain young man, but he was discerning a vocation. She was not praying the correct prayer-which was that God's glory be manifested in both of their lives, as God willed.
God listens and answers according to His Will. But, it is our responsibility to pray according to His Will. Let us be one with Him in all things.
