Why doesn't God protect those who ask Him for protection?translated

Reader question:

Hello! I recently watched a film about soldiers who returned from the Northern Military District. One man said that after the war he stopped believing in God. He said: “If there is a God, He is somehow evil. My comrades prayed before the battle in front of my eyes, and then they were immediately torn apart by a drone right in front of me.” This statement really bothers me. Why doesn't God protect those who ask Him for protection?

Valeria

Priest's answer:

EFANOV Andrey, archpriest

God bless you!

Dear Valeria, yes, you asked a very difficult question. And it is very difficult to answer. But it is necessary to answer, because in our time many people think about this: how is it that we don’t always see God’s really effective help in response to our prayers?

I will give you (and other readers of our portal) one story from the patericon as an example of our lack of understanding of God’s providence. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the original, so I’ll retell it from memory.

A novice of one of the elders was in the city out of need, where he saw the funeral of the wicked ruler. They were very solemn. Arriving at his cell, he saw that his elder had been torn to pieces by a lion. Offended by what he saw, the novice became...