We all can recall prayers that didn't get answered.

Of course, we should not expect some prayers to get answered, such as "make so-and-so want to marry me" or "let so-and-so be elected the next president."

The first example because God would have to override the will of another person, and the second because God might have to override the will of a voting public.

God apparently does not override human will, but gives us complete freedom to choose — and suffer the consequences of our choices.

That alone can explain a lot of what's going on in the world.

However, a lot of very important prayers don't require God to override the free will of humans, and they still go unanswered.

Unanswered prayers can shake our faith and cause us to stop believing entirely.

So, why don't all our prayers get answered?

Jesus said this about prayer in Mathew 18:18-20:

This seems to imply an extraordinary authority given by Jesus to believers.

However, some of the things that Jesus taught were intended only for the twelve apostles who would become the leaders of the Church.

And this seems to be one of those teachings.

When those first apostles left this earth, their ministry was passed on to their successors.

Today that would mean the pope and the bishops in union with him.

They and their teaching authority are known as the Magisterium of the Church.

If you are praying for something, it apparently makes all the difference if the Magisterium of the Church is on board.

One example of prayers that had the backing of the Magisterium was Miracle of the Battle at Lepanto.

The Church throughout Europe was praying the Rosary at the request of Pope Pius V, and the result was a miraculous victory.

So, what prayers can we confidently offer up that have the backing of the Magisterium?

Right away the Lord's Prayer comes to mind.

Jesus himself gave us the very words of the prayer and told us to pray it. Who can doubt that this prayer will be fully answered?

The Lord's Prayer really does cover all the crucial things that need to be prayed for, both in the world and in our personal lives.

Then there is the Eucharist a.k.a. the Sacrifice of the Mass, which is called “the source and summit of the Christian life.”

Of course, the Lord's Prayer is included in the Mass, and there are several other prayers including the Universal Prayer (a.k.a. Prayer of the Faithful, or Bidding Prayers) which can address many specific issues.

These are prayed by the Magisterium and the Church all over the world. So Universal Prayer is a very appropriate name.

We can expect these prayers to be answered.

Are there any other prayers we can pray with that level of confidence?

Yes. There's the Liturgy of the Hours (a.k.a. the Divine Office or the Breviary) which the pope and all the bishops, priests and deacons all over the world are obligated to pray every day.

Members of religious communities are also bound to pray the Liturgy of the Hours, and the laity are encouraged to pray it.

Again, the Lord's Prayer is included; it appears in Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer.

And near the end of each session there is also a set of specific intercessions and prayers, some of which are very specific and even bold.

The Magisterium is on board with all the prayers in the Liturgy of the Hours as it is officially The Prayer of the Church.

When we come to these prayers both in the Liturgy of the Hours and in the Mass, we would do well to take special notice of them.

Finally, the Rosary also seems to be a prayer that will be answered — at least the specific prayers within the Rosary itself.

The Rosary is not a Liturgy like the Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours, and the clergy are not obligated to pray it, but all the faithful are encouraged to do so.

It is after all, the Lord's Prayer repeated several times, plus asking the Blessed Mother for her prayers.

Intentions we attach to the Rosary are apparently in a different category as people can pray for all sorts of things which may or may not be in God's will.

But if we conform our will to God's will, and our words to God's words, then we can pray with confidence.

And we have a good list of prayers at our disposal.

• The Lord's Prayer
• The prayers in the Mass
• The Liturgy of the Hours
• The Rosary

These are prayers that will get answered.