14b: G-d doesn't always answer

After a lengthy discussion of how to compel G-d to answer the need for more rain, the Talmud seems to hedge a bit at the end of 14b. Rabbi Elazar states that "Not everyone is answered when they render their cloths and not everyone is answered when they prostrate themselves." He proves this by showing that even Joshua and Caleb were only answered by G-d when they rent their cloths and not when they merely prostrated themselves. Though Rabbi Zeira (or was it Rabbi Shmuel bar Nahmani?) challenges this teaching, the point holds -- sometimes, no matter what action we take, our desires are not answered.

After a perek primarily devoted to ways in which one can compel G-d to answer our prayers, this small sugiya seems to admit that G-d doesn't always answer.