Matthew 7:7 tells us “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you”. Sounds like a pretty good deal, right? So how do we make this happen? We lay our requests at the feet of the Lord through prayer, so let’s start there. The worst that could happen is that he says no, right? Think again.
First, let’s make sure we understand the basics of prayer and how to pray correctly. Let’s begin with the obvious: God is not a genie. We don’t get 3 wishes.
Next, remember that every request should include “If it is Thy will Lord”. You may have heard the joke about the man who asked the Lord to let him win the lottery. “Lord, if you’ll only let me win the lottery, I promise to give half the winnings to the Church”. Each week he repeated his prayer, each time more fervently. After several weeks went by without winning, he once again prayed “Lord PLEASE let me win the lottery. I promise to give half my winnings to the Church”, at which point the Lord replied, “Meet me halfway… buy a ticket”. That’s us. All gain, no pain. We want to receive blessings from God, but then, when it doesn’t happen the way we expect, most of us decide that God’s not there without even attempting to dig for the deeper meaning, or trying to understand how God might be at work.
Next, be honest with yourself. Do you pray for the things you want, or do you ask the Lord to show you the things you need? For example, we have all asked for an end to war and suffering, but it hasn’t happened. Have we instead asked for help in understanding why war and evil are allowed to exist?
The Bible tells us to pray persistently. This is something I really had (and still have) trouble with. I always end up thinking that the answer is no, and I should stop asking, but that’s wrong. God doesn’t ask us to pray persistently just because He wants to hear us beg. The more we ask for something, if it is a righteous and honest request, the more we realize that we cannot make it happen on our own, and that we need God’s grace. It helps us realize that we can do nothing without the Lord. God is made perfect in our weakness.
Still, none of this sounds dangerous, but here’s the final test. To paraphrase a popular saying, “Be careful what you pray for.” Unexpected things can and do happen when we pray for that which we need to be made holy. The Lord does indeed answer prayer, but we do not always understand the answer, and many times it requires a major change or effort on our part.
As an example, I’ll offer my own experience. Years ago, at the first parish I attended upon returning to the faith, I prayed for the Lord to show me how I could serve. Yet each time I felt the call and began to act upon it, something happened to prevent the next step. What I did not understand was that the Lord was answering my prayer, just not in the way I expected. The Lord works through all of us, I wasn’t where I needed to be to meet the people that could help and I wasn’t where I needed to be to serve where He needed me. Finally, in frustration and convinced that the lack of an answer meant I was not forgiven, I found myself at a new parish. It was several years later when I finally understood that the Lord had guided me to the right people and resources so that I could serve Him. All the pieces fell into place. Looking back now the answer was obvious, but I lacked understanding, patience, acceptance, and the confidence to put my trust in the Lord.
In the years before my return, I always thought that the Lord wants us to be strong and make our own decisions. I was dead wrong. True strength lies in laying your needs at the Lord’s feet and asking for His help. It takes courage and understanding to hand the steering wheel to God and accept what He gives us.
Who has control of your steering wheel?