Short answer: Of course.
Long answer: Maybe it just seems like He isn’t, because you’re not getting the answer you want or expect or soon enough to suit you.
I’m not one for checklisting your prayers, but here’s a few thoughts. Maybe it would help you perceive God listening, if you’re not already doing these things, by …
- Asking for the Spirit. (Luke 11:13)
- Then praying in the Spirit. (Romans 8:26)
- Praying like Jesus. (Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4; John 17)
- Pray for others; pray in faith. (Matthew 21:22; Mark 11:24; James 5:15)
- Pray in private. (Matthew 6:5-6)
- Pray to the point. (Matthew 6:7-8)
- Pray humbly, having forgiven others. (Mathew 6:14-15)
- Watch, as well as praying, to avoid temptation. (Matthew 26:41; Mark 14:38; Luke 22:40)
- Pray on a mountain with friends. (Luke 9:28)
- Pray on a mountain alone. (Luke 6:12)
- Fast while praying. (Ezra 8:23; Nehemiah 1:4; Daniel 9:3; Luke 2:37; Acts 13:3; 14:23)
- Going to your knees. (Luke 22:41; Acts 9:40; 20:36; 21:5)
- Falling on your face. (Matthew 26:39)
- Sweating out your prayer. (Luke 22:44)
- Pray for what you want, yes. But always pray for what God wants. (Luke 22:42)
- Pray daily. Make a time for it. (Acts 3:1)
- Pray three times a day. (Daniel 6:10)
- Pray without ceasing. (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
This isn’t a comprehensive list. And none of these are guarantees that you will get what you want or receive the answer to the questions you ask or even feel better.
But you will have spent time with God. He will have listened, already knowing what you wanted to tell Him, and you will have acknowledged that He is the only One in the universe who can and who wants to and who will.
And that is a very wonderful, important, blessed thing to remember.
(At least, it is for me.)
Blog In My Own Eye 
That post is great. I needed some inspiration for prayer today ~ Thanks, Brother
Thanks for the reminders. Prayer is God’s blessed design for his people to get from him what they need and desire. Over and over again we are encouraged to pray, and commanded to do so, but I fail so often to obey in this discipline of the faith.
Ask, Seek, Knock, ASK. Those who ask receive, those who seek find what they need, and the door is opened to those who knock.
It sounds trite but it is true, the only people who get their prayers answered are those who pray.
This Donna likes it too.
Unfortunately I need the reminder to just keep praying.
“Pray on a mountain with friends. (Luke 9:28)”
While I think the terrain is optional, I think we leave this one out FAR too often, especially when you notice how many of the “prayer promises” we struggle with are not written to individual believers, but in 2nd person plural — to the community of faith praying together for the same thing Jesus wants (‘in his name’).
I should have added:
Pray with your family and church family on the beach (Acts 21:5).
would that be scriptural authorization for youth ski trips? or would ONLY beach trips be authorized?
Beach only. And family-only; nothing with just teens authorized. And only if the families pray while kneeling.
Sorry. Them’s the rules.