Why Bother Praying? (unanswered prayers part 2)

NOTE: I originally started this post at least a month ago. I decided that I'm going to go ahead and blog about all of my thoughts on the subject of unanswered prayers, especially while our old house is still on the market, despite all of our prayers and efforts.

What is the point of praying if it doesn't help? If God doesn't give us what we are asking for or provide clear answers to our questions, then why bother making the effort?

These questions entered my mind the other day. I feel like I have been trying pretty hard to do what pleases God. I've been praying about my problems (primarily with selling our old house, but other things too) and having faith about them. But it hasn't worked, despite our faith and despite our prayers and also the prayers of others for the cause. So why should I continue to pray for it, or anything else for that matter?

I had to ponder that for a minute before I came up more questions, which are "Well, why do I pray? Is it just to get the things that I want? To get my way and receive blessings? " Maybe so and perhaps that's the problem right there, or certainly a problem.

As a metaphor, if the only reason my grown children ever wanted to spend time with me was to hit me up for some cash, or to get help with something, I would find that to be seriously annoying. At some point I would maybe not even want to hear from them at all and possibly even cringe every time they called or stopped by.

The Bible makes it clear that it isn't wrong to ask for things, but I find that it's consuming most if not all of my prayers now. Maybe it has been for a long time. I think I really need to just listen and be content, not only with the things that I'm blessed with already, but more importantly to be happy that God even lets me pray to Him at all. That He actually wants to listen to me, spend time with me and that He gave me Jesus' sacrifice and the promise of salvation that accompanies it (once we repent and accept it of course). If He also wants to help me with my problems, well then that would be great too. But if not, then it's completely up to Him. Or if it's until a later date, then it's completely up to His timing.