It's the same with lots of people and it is frustrating I agree. Prayers can be answered in other ways though, perhaps through other people. Keep an open mind and listen to others - you never know.

Would God really want to use others, books, music or any THING at all to communicate with me?

God works in mysteries ways, I think he uses others, book and music to calm your soul.

Give me an example of an answered prayer.

I say all those things would have happened had you not prayed. Put another person in those situations and they could pray and not have one of those happen. What I put down to luck/fortune, religious people put down to God. Except if there was a God, I'd think he/she/it would be constant with their love for all. Luck is blind and erratic.

There are whole communities in Africa that starve. They pray. They still await the answer. It won't come because, what with the conditions they live in, the chances of being lucky are far and few. Their 'luck' needs to be engineered by the concerted will of their fellow man.

The examples you site were down to the right conditions at the right time. I am not religious, yet I also get wishes met through good fortune. Unfortunately, murderers, rapists and the like also get 'prayers' and wishes granted.

Luck is indiscriminate in who it bestows itself upon.

Love and respect to you too. What really matters is that our own personal belief and faith, in whatever that may be, gives us a degree of strength. If it helps in that way, then it works.

If god only talks to me through other people then shouldn't I follow gods example and only talk to him/her the same way? It makes no sense for god not to talk to me directly. Seems very cold-hearted. I realize god sends help through other people, I am only talking about Communication. If I am talking, why won't god talk back?

How would you like him to talk? Through what medium?

I'll share something my pastor said once that really hit home for me.

He talked about prayer. We talk to God all the time. We complain to Him, we cry to Him, we ask for help, and we give praise. Sometimes we are so wrapped up in what we are praying about that we miss the answers. Our voice is so loud in our head that we can't hear God whispering in our hearts. Instead of constantly talking to Him, try to listen. Still your thoughts and try to find peace. He will answer you. Always. But it is not always in the way you expect. His answer could be in the form of a smile you receive from a stranger, flowers blooming in an unexpected place, or a phone call from a dear friend. So try to listen. See if you can hear His voice. It will always be there for you.

I pray too. I think of praying as my turn to talk and meditating as God's turn to talk.

For me, God isn't even concerned or aware of my humble little human problems. I offer up love and willingness to learn and then I open my heart and receive love and healing. There aren't words, just direct communication of love. But the openness of my heart and mind does allow for all kinds of communication from the rest of the universe.

I also get hurt and implore for a cease-fire from the world, or get angry and yell all kinds of questions and make all kinds of demands, to which the answer is always to do the previously mentioned!

I pray all the time also but I think an actual answer from Him would freak me! I hear his answers sometimes, but they are not in words. I get a sense of peace wash over me (the peace which passes all understanding??) One time, after my mother died I was taking a walk and prayed to know if she was okay. Suddenly, the church in the nearby next town started playing it's hymns--you know how they broadcast them and you can hear them all over the neighborhood--well "How Great Thou Art" began to play which was my mom's favorite and the one I had asked a friend of mine to sing at the funeral! It gave me great comfort and I believe it was God's answer to me. I don't really believe in coincidence. By the way, that was 6 years ago and I have never heard that hymn again. I still walk there as often as 3 times a day as it eases my depression and anxiety. ---Gemstone

heretic,
I believe in God. I believe that since we, as earthly beings, cannot hear God in an audible sound, He uses other people or things to talk back. I have learned that patience is best. When you talk to God you have to wait and let Him take His time to respond.
God answers ALL prayers. It may not be the answer you want to hear, but it's the one you NEED to hear. Just remember, He loves you and wants the best for you! Not necessarily what YOU think is best or want!

Amen to that! On a lighter note, God sometimes surprises us with an immediate answer we simply don't expect. I always say I am going to write up this story for Guideposts magazine so, if you ever see it in there, you will know it is me! Anyway, several years ago on Thanksgiving day, I decided to add a little water to the fish bowl for my beloved fish, Spot. Sounds silly but I loved that fish! Well the pottery pitcher I had aged the water in was so heavy that while I was trying to pour the water in, it hit into the bowl and shattered it. I prayed, Oh God no no no--please let my fish be okay! My kids and my husband joined in the search for the fish but he was nowhere to be found.. I kept saying, oh no he's dead, I killed him! We searched the room, all the bookshelves and cleaned up all the water. Finally we gave up. When I reached down to pick up the pottery pitcher I saw that Spot was safely swimming around in the water inside! He was fine and lived another few years. How he jumped into the pitcher I will never know. I think God answered my prayer.
Gemstone

I don't talk to God any more. It's just too painful to make myself that vulnerable and then not get any comfort or better feeling out of it. I'm glad there are those of you who have faith. I wish I had some kind of faith but I really don't. Maybe I'll always feel alone in the world. I just hope that feeling doesn't rub off on my 12 year old son. I hope he can develop some kind of faith in God even if I can't.

I talk to God and He talks to me. I can hear his voice in my inner ear (my head) and in my heart. But we have to seek Him or else he won't hear us when we talk to Him. The more you study and read Gods word the more He will talk to you. It takes alot of diligence and patients but eventually you will hear from Him. Also His Word is Him speaking to us. But if we ignore that then we don't get more, we get less. And he will use other things sometimes to speak to us, other people, animals, things in nature etc.

I would like to add something here that had a profound effect on this my saddest day each year.
The man whispered, "God, speak to me" And a meadowlark sang. But the man did not hear.

So the man yelled "God, speak to me" And the thunder & lightning rolled across the sky. But the man did not listen.

The man looked around and said, "God, let me see you." And a star shined brightly. But the man did not see.

And, the man shouted, "God, show me a miracle" And a life was born. But the man did not notice.

So, the man cried out in despair, "Touch me, God, and let me know you are here" thereupon, God reached down and touched the man. But the man brushed the butterfly away and walked on.

I found this to be a great reminder that God is always around us in the little and simple things that we take for granted. even in our electronic age . . . so I would like to add one more:

The man cried "God, I need your help" . . . and an e-mail arrived reaching out with good news and encouragement. But the man deleted it without unopened because "Fw:" was in the Subject; and continued crying.....
The good news is that you are loved. Don't miss out on a blessing because it isn't packaged the way that you expect.
I needed to hear this today and it was posted by a very wise person, at least as far as I think anyway.