Does hashem listen to our tifilos if we say them out loud?

tigerwife

Thu, Jul 13 2017, 10:14 pm

yksraya wrote:

Yes, talking to hashem helps. I don't think it matters if said loudly or quietly, but really having faith and a connection helps.

Only a few days ago, I had a miraclously speedy birthing experiance. I have no doubt it took so fast bec I asked hashem to help me.

Mazel tov! Smile

MitzadSheini

Thu, Jul 13 2017, 11:11 pm

chicco wrote:

Davening isn't about getting a specific result. It's about developing a relationship with Hashem. Communication is key in a relationship. It is more likely that those who have a relationship with Hashem have a better understanding of where they are holding and why. Good and bad things happen to everybody regardless of prayer. But those in tune have a better acceptance level than those who don't pray. They also have better tools to handle and navigate what Gd sends their way.

The way I see it, the relationship is the ikar, not "the thing that you received". So in op's case, I wouldn't look at it as "yay that I was able to get home", but rather "yay that when the relative showed up, I saw Hashem's hand at play". And the reason that you were able to see Hashem's hand? Because you davened. You were tuned in to The Power that created and runs the universe, that we call Hashem. So you "saw" Him in what took place. That's the really exciting bit, not the fact that you got home.

It is very hard to do this in trying, difficult situations though, but I guess that is what we are supposed to try and do.

PinkFridge

Fri, Jul 14 2017, 8:30 am

amother wrote:

It's hard to say that davening is not about getting a specific result. When someone is sick, we daven for them to get better. That's pretty specific. When someone needs a shidduch, we daven they should find one. When we bench rosh chodesh, we specifically ask hashem for things like health and parnasah. It's hard to argue that we are not specific with our requests.

There's a shiur I've heard about but haven't heard myself. I did hear it distilled though. It's called Understanding Unanswered Prayers by Rabbi Menachem Nissel.
No prayer goes ignored. Every prayer accomplishes something positive, whether accruing other zechuyos for the one being prayed for or strengthening the connection between prayer and the One being prayed to.

PinkFridge

Fri, Jul 14 2017, 8:33 am

amother wrote:

But it's hard to even define our needs. On one hand we acknowledge that we are not even a speck of dust next to hashem, and from there we give hashem suggestions. Hashem I need this. Hashem I need that. Why don't we just trust hashem to steer us as he sees fit? If there's an older single, we don't say that hashem knows what he's doing. We daven that hashem changed his mind. We suggest to hashem that his idea is bad and here's a better one. When someone is having serious problems with their children, we don't trust in hashem that it's for the best. We tell hashem that he needs to see it our way and fix things. Since hashem created a master plan, why don't we simply trust it instead of constantly asking hashem to alter his plan?

Because we are not snakes.
The first day of creation we were told, you will always have to be connected to Hashem to ask for your needs, unlike the snake. This was the sweetness put in the punishment.
It sounds like holding two opposing thoughts and maybe it is: on the one hand, we have to accept that everything Hashem does is for the good, that we grow through our struggles and that that is the point. OTOH we say, this minute I accept everything with as much love and equanimity as I can muster, but from my limited view, I think that if I had more tools I could serve You even better, so please, give them to me and I will do my best to use them properly.