What to Do If You Feel God is Not Listening to Your Prayers?

There are billions of people today who pray in earnest but never feel heard, or never feel close to God. What can you do to ensure that God hears you, understand what you're saying even when you don't know exactly what to say, and feel satisfied in your talk to him?

Learn his name first of all.

It's very impersonal to talk to someone in depth without knowing their real name. God has many, many titles just as every person does. The president has many tities, including president, king, etc., and God is a title too. What is his real name? Open your Bible to Psalm 83:18 and learn it - it is Jehovah. The original 4 letters, YHWH, called the tetragrammaton, is translated in Hebrew to Yahweh - and in English to Jehovah. It means, "He causes to become". Use that name, as much as you would like, because it is his name and you can feel closer to God if you use it.

Pray in a respectful position.

While there is no one position necessary to be heard by our loving creator, you still want to pray to him in a respectful way to show your reverence for him. Get in a quiet place, be comfortable, and pour out your heart to him. It's okay if you have to pray to him lying down, or wherever you are. He hears you no matter where you are.

Don't repeat made-up prayers over and over.

Jesus talked about those type of people and how they are hypocrites because they though they would get a hearing from God for their use of many words, said over and over. But a loving God does not want or expect that... he wants you to pour out your heart to him respectfully.

Work along with your prayers.

God does not like liars and hypocrites. If you are praying to overcome a bad habit, being presumptuous and turning right around and engaging in that bad habit does not show God you want his help. If you feel the urge to engage in that bad habit again, pray immediately for the strength to overcome the urge. Take steps in your life to break free from the habit. Doing this shows God where you really stand on the matter, and he can supply you with strength for the rest you can't handle.