Praying

I found myself thinking about prayers last night. I think it's pretty universal for people who believe in some kind of higher power. When we see someone struggling, with grief or illness or a loss, we say "You're in my prayers." I've said it hundreds of times, and I mean it. I always mean it when I say it. Then when the horrible happens, when the person you're praying for dies, or their loved one dies, or when their illness gets worse, I think, "well that didn't work."
I know that many people prayed for Isabelle, I know I said more prayers that 24 hours than I've ever said. I've been praying for days for a dear friend's father, and he passed away yesterday. So last night I was washing dishes looking out at the back yard, and Isabelle's tree. We put pavers around the base of the tree and filled it in to make a new garden. It is beautiful. And I wondered about what happens to all the unanswered prayers. Where does all that love go? If god is listening why does he ignore some requests and not others? If 50 people are praying for one person why doesn't that catch his attention? Does praying really make a difference?
I feel powerless when someone I care about is in pain. For me, sending up a prayer gives me something to do. It makes me feel better. Makes me feel like I'm doing something. So maybe prayer is a way to heal yourself. I'm still not sure what God does with all the prayers coming at him. I'm assuming I'll never have an answer to that question. I wish I did. I wish I knew how to get his attention. I wish I knew how many people you need to get on the same prayer track to make a difference. Is it 10? 100?
In the meantime, I'll keep praying. It can't hurt right?