When prayer doesn't work

[dianan]

My mom has been suffering from ALS for over a year now and has been to several Osteopathic doctors who claim to have cured other people with ALS. But my mom is getting worse. We all continue to pray for her, but our prayers don't seem to be helping. I am so discouraged right now. I feel like God has forgotten us, or He doesn't hear our prayers. It pains me to see my mom go through with losing more and more of her abilities and it pains me more to see the way my dad treats her because of this disease. He is very discouraging and bitter towards her, as though she purposely got this disease. He shows her no affection. I sometimes wonder if God planned for my mom to get this disease to work on my dad's heart. I wonder why God chooses to heal some, but not others. I need your support and encouragement.

 

[HelenL]

I'm very sorry for your Mom's diagnosis, and your Dad not stepping up to be helpful. Has your family contacted the ALSA or MDA groups for help, and going to an ALS Clinic? If not, then seeing the Osteopathic doctors and not meeting this head on is only hurting your Mom, not helping her. I also chose to seek alternative methods WHILE going to the clinic and joining a clinical trial.

You can't blame God for helping or not helping people, we need to help ourselves and make our own decisions. I believe in God, but it's in HIS time, not mine, as I was recently reminded. I don't know if the struggles I'm having will be "solved" or not (not the health ones), but there's the old adage that God helps those who help themselves. Sorry if I paraphrase this, but please step up and be strong for your Mom. Blame isn't the issue here, being proactive is. Get your Mom a social worker if she doesn't already have one, and make sure she's being taken care of.

You're a good daughter to care, and trust me, you are being heard.

 

[susanf]

I'm sorry about your mom. Please don't give up on God, He didn't single us out. Your Dad is probably angry at the situation and redirects the anger.
Like Helen said, get her a social worker , that will get the ball rolling.
You are a caring daughter

 

[notgivnup]

dianan, Prayer always is heard, sometimes we dont like the answers. But hon the Father Always hears us. Just as a parent when a child falls, is there to pick up them up and comfort them. Our Father is there to comfort you if you will let Him. We dont know why things happen as they do but He can see you Through it. So sorry about your mom and the way your dad is reacting, you sound like a wonderful daughter, and are there for her. And we are here for you. We will pray for you, your mom and dad. We are not on this journey alone. So glad you found us here, this is an answer to prayer, it has been for me. Welcome to our forum family who are loving , caring and knowlegable. {{HUGS}}

 

[kmendsley]

Prayer is hard, especially when we wonder why certain obstacles have been given to us. I was a dancer for 20 years....I could have easily made a living and become a professional one...but something made me decide to find another career and keep it as a hobby. Thank goodness I did...I can no longer dance. Sure I miss it, but have found other hobbies that I am good at to keep me occupied and found this experience has help me grow in many ways.

Important thing to remember is He didn't do it you to watch you suffer. We all have certain roads in life and He only knows the answer.. and until we get up to Heaven, we will never know what really that plan is to be.

Prayers for comfort for you and solace in this hard time.

 

[Gentleman Jim]

Dianan;

The only prayer not answered is the one that was never prayed. Others, neighbors, friends and local church's all pray prayers
that we most often don't hear. However, those prayers are far more penetrating and valuable because they deal with the
eternal rather than the temporal.

In the book of John 5, Jesus asked the sick man at the well for some 38 years; "Do you want to be healed?" What kind of
question is that? Read it, study it. Jesus performed a miracle that day with the man. The English word we know as miracle
needs to be looked at; It is translated from the Greek, Signs and wonders. Study that.

One healing everyone seeks is the ability to know truth. Gen 3:1 Did God really say? Eve, got it wrong from the beginning.
We are still getting it wrong, but their is a remedy. "The truth is so valuable, often times it is protected by a body guard
of lies."

Jesus said; The thief come to kill and destroy. We have lived with and learned war and problems with our prayers.
James 4:1-10 Read it. So, the 6th commandment, don't murder, we see a lot of killing in the Bible. We also forget
God can and does raise the dead.

Dianan; All that to say this, no amount of facts can prove this or that. We do and would argue till the cows come home.
However, FAITH, Is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1

Sounds to me like everyone should be praying for your dad, as much or more. His unkindness and injury is much deeper,
it seems he has a heart condition. Much more severe than your mom's physical illness. I don't want to seem
simplistic, however, often times we miss the elephant in the room. We are all dying, we are not all going to hell.

There is a place where people go to receive healing, a father took his little son there to show him. They looked
and saw empty wheelchairs that had been abandoned, they saw crutches left laying there. But, the little boy
looked at his father and said; "Where are the wooden legs?"

You think about that, Re: Christians Here for Support

All my love and prayers,

 

[Sequoia]

I do not believe God gives us hard things like ALS...God is unconditional love, and always wants the best for us! We are born into this world and things are dealt out to us all...would God let a Sudan mother starve so she could not feed her baby? NO! What God does is give us the courage and the strength to deal with what comes. And when I look back on my life I see that God has turned everything into something good. We all have to die of something, perhaps this ALS will bring out the best in us....if we co-operate with God's graces. I hate having ALS, but I can see that it has made me very grateful for EVERYTHING, instead of taking everything for granted. I have lived more fully since my diagnosis, grateful for every precious day given to me. I want to make a difference....and the way to do that is loving everybody unconditionally...even your dad. Love is what changes things into something good. Praying for you and your family!