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“Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asked for a
loaf of bread, or a snake when he asked for a fish?” Matthew
7:9–10
Clearly this is a rhetorical question by Jesus. No parent would
hand their son or daughter a stone or a snake if they asked for
food. But that of course is the point. Jesus goes on to say,
“...how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to
those who ask him.”
When you pray with deep faith, will our Lord give you whatever you
ask? Certainly not. Jesus did say, “Ask and it will be given to
you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to
you.” But this statement must be carefully read within the whole
context of Jesus’ teaching here. The fact of the matter is that
when we sincerely ask in faith for “good things,” meaning that
which our good God wants to bestow upon us, He will not disappoint.
Of course, this does not mean that if we beg Jesus for anything
whatsoever that He will give it to us.
What are those “good things” that our Lord will most certainly give
to us? First and foremost, it is the forgiveness of our sins. We
can be absolutely certain that if we humble ourselves before our
good God, especially within the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we
will be granted the freely given and transforming gift of
forgiveness.
In addition to the forgiveness of our sins, there are many other
things we need in life, and there are many other things that our
good God wants to bestow upon us. For example, God will always want
to give to us the strength we need to overcome temptations in life.
He will always want to provide for our most basic needs. He will
always want to help us grow in every virtue. And He most certainly
wants to bring us to Heaven. It is these things that we must
especially pray for every day.
But what about other things, such as a new job, more money, a
better house, acceptance into a certain school, a physical healing,
etc.? Our prayers for these and other similar things in life should
be prayed for but with a caveat. The “caveat” is that we pray that
God’s will be done. Not ours. We must humbly acknowledge that we do
not see the big picture in life and do not always know what will
give God the greatest glory in all things. Therefore, it may be
better that you not get that new job, or be accepted at this
school, or even that this illness not end in healing. But we can be
certain that God always will bestow upon us that which is best for
us and that which enables us to give God the greatest glory in
life. The crucifixion of our Lord is a perfect example. He prayed
that that cup be taken from Him, “but not my will but Yours be
done.” And, of course, the Father saw the great eternal value in
the death of His Son on the Cross and answered that prayer of His
accordingly.
Reflect, today, upon how you pray. Do you pray with detachment from
the outcome, knowing that our Lord knows best? Do you humbly admit
that only God knows what is truly good for you? Trust this to be
the case and pray with complete confidence that God’s will be done
in all things and you can be certain that He will answer that
prayer.
Dear Lord of infinite wisdom and knowledge, help me to always
place my trust in Your goodness and care for me. Help me to daily
turn to You in my need and to trust that You will answer my prayer
according to Your perfect will. I place my life into Your hands,
dear Lord. Do with me as you wish. Jesus, I trust in You.
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