Ask and You Shall Receive

One of the things people with faith in God does in time of need is prayer. As Christians, we are encouraged by our faith to believe in a God who is also a provider - "With God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26). The Bible is filled with narratives of how God hears the cries of the sick and the suffering, and how He delivers them from their miseries. But I have also noticed a tendency among faithful Christians: they refuse to ask God's help in time of need. Many choose to suffer through their sickness and barely make it through in their daily life, thinking that it is God's will. They often rationalize their state by saying that they haven't done anything so bad to deserve what they are going through, so God must have a good reason for allowing it to happen to them. They might not blame God for their miseries, but not all that happy with Him for letting them suffer. They think it is futile to ask in prayer because, if it was not God's will for it to happen, then a loving God would have fix the problem even without asking. 

People may have many reasons to believe in God and to pray to Him without ever making a personal petition. But in doing so, they are closing their eyes towards a bigger truth about God - He is the giver of all gifts to carry out His plan and purpose. And if any one of us think that God's plan and purpose for us is to live in pain, to suffer with sickness, to agonize over our daily needs, then we don't believe "God is love" (1 John 4:8). For, a loving God could never allow human - the epitome of His creation - to live a life of pain and suffering. If we ever stop and look at the prayer that Jesus taught us, we will see that it is not just a prayer of praises but it is a prayer of petition also. If 'Give us our daily bread', 'Forgive our trespasses', 'Lead us not into temptation', and 'Deliver us from evil' are not petitions to God, then what is?

One of the things that puzzled me over the years was why do we have ask. If all good things come from God and if God's graces are free for all, then why do I need to go in there and ask for help with a particular problem that I am having. Why can't God just step in and take care of it for me. We need to ask because we have fallen out of God's grace through our sins. When we ask, it equates to repentance and humility. To ask is letting go of our pride. By petitioning to God, we are opening ourselves to the mercy of God. This is also the reason why prayers are not always answered right away. Often we ask without fully believing in His mercy, without fully humbling ourselves, and without fully forgiving others. Also, God would sometimes hold back to test our loyalty and perseverance. But Jesus told us the parable of the Persistent Widow to remind us "about the necessity to pray always without becoming weary" (Luke 18:1) of the outcome. St. Paul tells us that we have to keep doing good and stay in God's grace without giving up hope: "Let us not grow tired of doing good, for in due time we shall reap our harvest, if we do not give up" (Galatians 6:9). 

So today, if you are thinking about giving up your hope because you haven't seen any change in your situation, think again. God in His infinite wisdom must have a reason for not granting your wish, but that doesn't mean He wouldn't grant it in the future when the time is more appropriate. But we would never get to realize the wish if we are not with Him in the due time. And if you are person who never asked God anything, but to chose to suffer through the difficulties, think again. How would you ever know if it is God's will to have you suffer unless you ask Him?

                           "Your way, God, is holy:
                                    what god is as great as our God?
                             You are the God who does wonders;
                                    among the peoples you have revealed your might.
                             With your mighty arm you redeemed your people,
                                    the children of Jacob and Joseph." (Psalm 77:14-16)