Matthew: Chapter 6
1 "(But) take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.
2 When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites 2 do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
3 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing,
4 so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
5 "When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward.
6 But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
7 In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words.
8 Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
So God knows my needs before I ask Him? Why does He make me ask.
Suppose I have prayed to God, as an agnostic, so I not sure whether there is a God, many gods, or nothing out there out there, and I have done it for several years and God hasn’t answer my prayer yet. From a lack of an answer to any of my prayers, it could be because there is no god, that God doesn’t love me or is ignoring me, or that I might be praying to the wrong god?
How do I know when one on my prayers gets answered? Maybe I have had a prayer answered, but I didn’t know how the response was going to be, so I just missed it or ignored it.