“O Hearer of prayer, to you people of all sorts will come.”​—Psalm 65:2.

Some people pray because they say it makes them feel better, even though they do not believe anyone is really listening. But prayer is more than a mere therapeutic exercise to help us get through our problems. The Bible assures us that “Jehovah * is near to all those calling on him, to all who call on him in truth. . . . He hears their cry for help.”​—Psalm 145:18, 19.

We can be certain, therefore, that Jehovah God hears the prayers of his worshippers. Lovingly he says: “You will call me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.”​—Jeremiah 29:12.

“Persevere in prayer.”​—Romans 12:12.

In the Bible, we are encouraged to “pray continually” and to “carry on prayer on every occasion.” Clearly, Jehovah God wants us to pray to him.​—Matthew 26:41; Ephesians 6:18.

Why does God want us to pray to him? Consider: What parent would not want his young child to say “Can you help me, Dad”? Of course, a father may already know what his child needs or feels, but when he hears those words, it shows him that his child trusts him and is close to him. Similarly, when we pray to Jehovah God, we show him that we trust in him and want to be close to him.​—Proverbs 15:8; James 4:8.

“Throw all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.”​—1 Peter 5:7.

God wants us to pray to him because he loves and cares for us. He is fully aware of our concerns and anxieties, and he wants to help us.

Throughout his life, King David prayed to Jehovah God for help and told Him his thoughts and feelings. (Psalm 23:1-6) How did God feel about David? God loved David and listened to his many prayers. (Acts 13:22) Likewise, God listens to our prayers because he cares for us.

Those are the words of the writer of one of the psalms in the Bible. He was sure that God heard his prayers, and that fact had a powerful effect on him. He felt closer to God and found the strength to deal with life’s distress and grief.​—Psalm 116:1-9.

When we are sure that God hears our prayers, we will persevere in talking to him. Consider the experience of Pedro, who lives in northern Spain. He lost his 19-year-old son in a traffic accident. In his sorrow, Pedro poured out his heart to God and prayed repeatedly for comfort and support. What happened? “Jehovah answered my prayers through the comfort and support that my wife and I received from fellow Christians,” says Pedro.

While prayers did not bring his son back to life, they did help Pedro and his family in important ways. His wife, María Carmen, recalls: “Prayers helped me to endure my grief. I knew that Jehovah God understood me because when I prayed to him, I felt at peace and a calm came over me.”

The Bible and personal experiences clearly show that God does hear prayers. Yet, it is also apparent that God does not answer all prayers. Why does God answer some prayers and not others?