I would like to share a couple of thoughts about one line in
our Gospel—“…ask and it will be given to
you.” The temptation may be to
think God is like a Genie. “I want
to win the Powerball” and poof, it happens. But this isn’t what Jesus is referring to.
We
may ask God for all sorts of good things—protection and health for our family,
discerning God’s will for particular situations or strength to combat sin. Yet do we ever consider how we ask God?
St.
Teresa of Avila challenged her sisters to remember exactly to Whom they were speaking to in
prayer. She asked them to think
about how they would approach a king.
Naturally they would be dressed up, polite, respectful and
reverent. So, too, should they be
in prayer.
We
have a great example of fervent prayer in Esther. She needed to speak to her husband—the king—about a plot to
destroy the Jews. Yet it was
illegal for anyone to approach the king unless they had been summoned. She hadn’t and was going to break the
law (which had the consequence of death) to attempt to spare her people. To ask God for strength, “She lay prostrate upon the ground,
together with her handmaids, from morning until evening…”
and fasted for three days. She
knew Whom she was talking to, and brought her petition before God with humility
and fervor.
On
another note, did you know there is one prayer which is guaranteed to
work? What I mean here is that
while God always answers prayer (though sometimes the answer is “No,” or “Not
yet”), one prayer will always be answered in the affirmative: “Your will be done.”
Lent
is a period to grow in fervor in our prayer. We must always remember to Whom we are speaking, giving the
honor and respect that is God’s due.
And our best bet in prayer—no matter what we ask for pray “Your will be
done.” The answer here will always
be “Yes” and always be the best.
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