Thanks Mark, ...I needed this one today.

To the reader:  God listens to all the prayers but He has told us He does not answer them all because we do not pray rightly.  I’ve come to believe praying rightly means praying with His heart of love.  When we ask for things for the wrong reasons or for our own result we are not praying rightly.  For example when someone wrongs you and you pray they come to realize the wrong they have done and truly repent and drawer closer to God, you are probably praying rightly.  When you pray they get what they “deserve” or something like that, you probably are not.  Also some times your house is not in order because you are doing things right and other people don’t like it and interfere in your life.  It may just be a cross.  So don’t be so hard on yourself.  Whatever the reason, especially when we are weary and burdened and find life hard, that is when Jesus tells us to turn to Him for comfort and rest.  He keeps His word. And never forget, “Enough for each day is its worries.”  Trying to live, love and pray in the moment is so helpful for thriving in the crazy world we live in.  If, for this moment you can do the right thing you have lived that moment in holiness - what a blessing to you.  If you don’t, well try to live the next moment better and if you succeed, what a blessing.  God is looking, as Mother Teresa said, not for success all the time, but for faithfulness.  If we knew how much He loves us we would never be able to offend Him.  Padre Pio reached that point he says.  Isn’t that something to strive for?

God hears all our prayers.  We will never know how fortunate we may be that He does not always answer every prayer the way we want.  He knows much better what we really need. 
Pray always for the enlightenment to know and do His will. And don’t forget to ask His Blessed Mother for help.  He gives us everything through her hands.  I can assure you that the best way to reach Him is through those same hands as well.

If you could “get your own house together” you wouldn’t need to pray for help.  Self-reliance is subtle spiritual pride.  But don’t despair.  “I’m not good enough to do this on my own” is the first step to getting help.

Besides…who wants to live in your “own house” when you can live in the house of the Lord?

God just seems inscrutable.

To Bob Rowland: Your comment brings to mind a line I heard from a few people over time: “Be careful about what you pray for… you might just get it!” I heard this, for one example among others, from a woman who had wanted very very much to marry a certain man and appeared to have been carried away by her emotions rather than her common sense, with disastrous results in the longer term.

Our pastor “The Rev. Know it All” always reminds the prayer of the pagan is “Give me what I want” the prayer of the Christian is “Lord show Me Your Ways”

oops misquoted him…
“Lord Teach me Your Ways”

We pray to God because we need His Grace, to give us strength to fix the cr@p in our lives. We will never be able to fight sin and evil totally on our own.
We pray to God to thank Him for His Gift of Salvation, that we will never fully deserve, no matter what “good works” we do.
We pray to God out of gratitude, because it is only through His Loving Grace that we can cross the infinite chasm that separates us from Him.
Those are some reasons to pray. 
Praying is not “everything”.
Praying is the most important, privileged activity of a person of Faith.
Prayer deserves all the attention of our heart, mind and soul.
Makes sense?