I firmly believe that every sincere prayer said in faith does get answered to fulfil our needs. If every prayer for healing was answered in the way we wished, none of us would get to heaven because we would never leave this earth! God must recognise that spiritual health is more important than physical needs. But having said that, I can look back on my life and see how wonderfully God has answered my prayers - for my education, my career, my marriage, my children, and for my wonderful parents. Having started off life in a one bedroom terraced house in Middlesbrough where we lived as a family of five with my elder brother and sister, then transferred to Thorntree council estate described as one of the most deprived areas in England, I must have had many opportunities to feel sorry for myself. However, I believe that every second of our lives on this earth is a precious gift from God, and sadly, we take so many of His gifts for granted.
Some of us can also refer to our very poor beginnings, Alan, if we so wished. Some of us have had a good education, good careers, good marriages, children who have done well and parents who have been caring and constant. Some of us have relations who have risen above severe physical disabilities with constant and innate optimism. And some of us have achieved all this without any thought of praying, or indeed any thought of God at all. So what? I've never felt the need to feel sorry for myself. As Shaker says, it's basically a combination of luck and hard work.
What you believe is entirely up to you, but it is of no importance whatsoever to a person such as myself.
