Why Prayer Never Works in Reverse: Understanding Unanswered Prayers in Judaism

"Shalom, how can we explain the feeling that sometimes prayer seems to work in the opposite way? For example, praying for peace in the home, and then suddenly a fight breaks out, or praying for someone’s success, and on that very same day hearing that they had serious problems. Thank you."

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Shalom and blessings,

Prayer never works in reverse. It is only the evil inclination that makes a person think this way, in order to discourage them from continuing to pray.

If a doctor gives a patient antibiotics for an infection spreading in his body, and that day the symptoms become worse, does this mean the antibiotics caused the worsening? Of course not. Antibiotics do not work instantly.

All forms of suffering, including the smallest ones, are decreed by Heaven. Prayer can only improve the situation, but never worsen it. Sometimes prayers are not answered immediately, and in difficult situations, many prayers may be required before there is a change. In some instances, the suffering is part of an earlier decree intended for a person’s spiritual rectification. In such cases, prayer helps to ease the blow, reduce the pain, or bring blessing in other areas of life.

Every prayer is a merit, and it always has a positive effect.