So, yes, there is much evidence that God answers prayers. Most of the evidence is anecdotal, personal, however, and it annoys many who think only "evidence" as that which is observable, measurable and reproducible.
Scripture clearly teaches that prayers are answered. James 5:16 states that "The prayer of a righteous man avails much." Jesus taught his disciples that "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done." (John 15:7).
1 John 3:22 echoes this truth, saying that "whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight"
Furthermore, the Scriptures are full of stories of answered prayer. Elijah's prayer by fire from heaven (2 Kings 1:12), Hezekiah's prayer for deliverance (2 Kings 19:19), and the apostles' prayer for boldness (Acts 4:29) are just three examples. Since these accounts were written by eyewitnesses to the events constitute clear evidence of answered prayer. One could, of course, reply that Scripture has no observable evidence in the sense "scientific".
However, no statement of Scripture has ever been conclusively disproved, so there is no reason to doubt his testimony. In fact, some types of tests called as "scientific" and others as "unscientific" is an artificial distinction and fuzzy. This distinction may be only a priori, that is, before the evaluation of the data.
In other words, the choice of evaluating the efficacy of prayer light only observable evidence is not driven by the data decision but philosophical previous commitments. When this arbitrary restriction is relaxed, the biblical data clearly speak for themselves.
Sometimes, a group of researchers conducted a scientific study on the effectiveness of prayer. Their findings are generally that prayer has no effect (or even a negative effect) in, for example, the average recovery time people in care.
How are we to understand the results of studies like these? Is there any biblical reason for unanswered prayer? Psalm 66:18 says: "If in my heart I had cherished iniquity, the Lord would not have listened."Also, 1 John 5:15 describes our reception "we ask" with our obedience to God's commandments. Santiago said that "Ye ask, and receive not, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your pleasures." (4:3).
So a couple of reasons for unanswered prayer is unconfessed sins and bad motivations. Another reason for unanswered prayer is the lack of faith: "But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed back to otra. No think, that he shall do, he will receive anything from the Lord. " (James 1:6-7).
Hebrews 11:6 also identifies faith as a prerequisite for a relationship with God, something always mediated through prayer in the name of Christ: "But without faith it is impossible to please God, because it is necessary that cometh to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. " Faith, then, is necessary for answered prayer.
Finally, some critics argue that Christianity, since Jesus instructs his disciples to "ask anything you want", all prayers are answered. However, such criticism ignores completely the conditions of the promise in the first part of the verse: "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you ..."
This is clearly a recipe for praying in the will of God, in other words, genuine prayer that God always answers is, in fact, that kind requested, explicitly or implicitly, that the will of God be fulfilled.
The will of the petitioner is secondary. Jesus prayed in Gethsemane (Luke 22:42). The humble prayer of faith allows that prayer can be answered with a "no", someone who does not offer this type of prayer - who demands to be answered - no right to expect an answer.
Another reason why so many studies report the ineffectiveness of prayer is that it is impossible to eliminate the variables associated with the spiritual condition of those who pray (is the petitioner even a believer?), motivation to offer the prayer (is to provide evidence or because the Holy Spirit has moved to pray?), the way they offer their prayers (is praying formulaic expression or intentionally bringing requests to God?), and so on.
Though all these variables could be eliminated by lurking, would be a major problem: if prayer could be tested empirically and forced to yield conclusive results could obviate the need for faith.
We can not "discover" God through empirical observations, we come to Him by faith. God is not so clumsy that he must reveal himself in ways not intended. "... It is necessary that he who comes to God must believe that he is ..." (that is, and it exists).
Faith is the prerequisite and priority. Did God answer prayer? Ask any believer, and you will know the answer. Each transformed life of every believer is evidence that God answers prayers.
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