Ask for what is best

 

 

Welcome to my blog. Peace be with you.

Today we learn that God who is our loving Father will always give what is best for us when we earnestly ask for it. He doesn’t give what is second best.

Thursday 8 October 2020

Ask for what is best

Gospel

Luke 11:5-13

Ask, and it will be given to you

Jesus said to his disciples:

‘Suppose one of you has a friend and goes to him in the middle of the night to say, “My friend, lend me three loaves, because a friend of mine on his travels has just arrived at my house and I have nothing to offer him”; and the man answers from inside the house, “Do not bother me. The door is bolted now, and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up to give it you.” I tell you, if the man does not get up and give it him for friendship’s sake, persistence will be enough to make him get up and give his friend all he wants.

‘So I say to you: Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For the one who asks always receives; the one who searches always finds; the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him. What father among you would hand his son a stone when he asked for bread? Or hand him a snake instead of a fish? Or hand him a scorpion if he asked for an egg? If you then, who are evil, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’

 

Prayerful reflection

Every example clarifies but also obscures. Jesus has given the example of the man who goes to his next-door neighbour in the middle of the night to ask for some bread. His friend has just arrived unexpectedly and he must give him a meal. Unfortunately, he has nothing in the house, so he goes to his friend next-door and asks him for some bread. He, however, is already in bed and so are all his family. He tells him he can’t give any and though not in these words, tells him to go away. But he doesn’t go away. He shamelessly keeps on knocking until in exasperation he gets up, gives the bread and sends him away. Jesus tells us this is how we should pray.

Do we need to shamelessly beseech God till he gives in and grudgingly grants our request? Not at all. God, our Father, will always give us what is best for us. In fact, we don’t need to ask, only have trust in his goodness and love and seek with all our heart. (Matthew 6:33).

Then why to keep on beseeching? Because we must learn to earnestly want what we pray for. Most of us pray for something and then even forget what we prayed for. God gives us what we really want. If we really want something, we will pray night and day (Luke 18:1-6). Our faith and trust in the goodness of God will grow with our asking. Furthermore, what we ask for should be the very best thing for us at this moment. The greatest gift we can ask for is to be possessed by God’s Holy Spirit. If God’s Holy Spirit has taken full possession of our minds, hearts, and wills, we will think, love, and act like God himself. Can there be anything greater? Earnestly ask for this with all your heart and soul and you will indeed be divinely transformed. This is the one thing that God really wants to give you.