Ask and you will receive
Prayer is a profoundly human act. Among other things, it stems from admiration for the order of creation and the mystery of life, which opens the heart to recognition of a creator and his goodness. Prayer also arises from the experience of one’s own fragility and the many needs of life that cannot always be satisfied, either by ourselves or by others. This moves the heart to trust in the power and providence of divinity. There are many forms of prayer, but as the Catechism recognizes: “Its most usual form, because the most spontaneous, is petition” (# 2629). Today’s readings are centered in this supplication to God and his gracious answer, as in the words of the psalm that we proclaim: “When I called you answered me; you built up strength within me.” (Ps 138:3)
To be able to ask God for things and to know that He listens is for us a cause of great admiration, but also a cause of impatience. The admiration is clear: how is it possible that an omnipotent and perfect God receives and ‘obeys’ the supplication of a creature like me? We would never dream of this with the powerful of the earth: for example, to have access to the President and have him listen to us. But, on the other hand, many times we despair and get angry with the result of our petitions: is God listening? why is he taking so long? Is what I am asking him unreasonable? is it doing any good? One a aspect of answering these questions that plague us is to recognize that “we do not know how to pray as we ought” (Rm 8:26). The Apostle James, in his letter is very direct about our flaws in prayer when he admonishes us by saying: “You ask but do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” (Jas 4:3) Therefore, how shall we pray to have a fruitful petition?
Humility: Several times in the Bible it is taught that God “opposes the proud but bestows favor on the humble.” (1 Pt 5:5). Consider who you are and who God is. We learn this today in Abraham’s attitude while pleading with the Lord: “See how I am presuming to speak to my Lord, though I am but dust and ashes!” (Gn 18:27).
Confidence: In words of Padre Pio: “Pray, hope, and don’t worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer”. The fruits of our prayer are proportional to the trust of our hearts. What the Lord says in the Gospel supports this confidence: ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Lk 11:9).
Insistence: It is not a matter of a single ask. With our insistence, we show our interest and the desire grows. Abraham in the first reading didn’t just ask once, but once and again. It is true that God many times doesn’t reply immediately. A quote from Saint Augustine in his commentary to the first letter of Saint John offers us a beautiful light: “He stretches the desire; by stretching, He enlarges the soul; by enlarging, He increases its capacity… so that when it comes, it may fill you full.”
Accuracy: It is probably the part that most often goes unnoticed and yet it is an indispensable condition for the fruit of the petition. We ask for many things, all of which we consider necessary and good, but we cannot forget that, as the Catechism says, “Christian petition is centered on the desire and search for the Kingdom to come” (# 2632). The prayer of the Our Father, that the Lord teaches us today, is clear. It starts with the plea: “Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come” (Lk 11:2) “There is a hierarchy in these petitions: we pray first for the Kingdom, then for what is necessary to welcome it and cooperate with its coming.” (Catechism #2632).
A special prayer of petition is the one we call Intercession. In this one we don’t just pray for our own needs, but, as Jesus did, we pray for the good of others. The Catechism recalls today’s first reading when it presents this prayer: “Since Abraham, intercession – asking on behalf of another has been characteristic of a heart attuned to God’s mercy” (#2635). It is an expression of the communion of Saints.
To know more: Catechism numbers 2629 – 2636.
Pray well my brothers and sisters.
Fr. Javier Nieva, DCJM
*****
Previous Letters:
July 20, 2025: The Better Part
July 13, 2025: Who is the Samaritan
July 6, 2025: Joy and Spoons
June 29, 2025: In Fire
June 22, 2025: A Beating Heart in the Tabernacle
June 15, 2025: The Mirror
June 8, 2025: Filled With the Holy Spirit
June 1, 2025: He Loved Us
May 25, 2025: Servant of Your Faith and Joy
May 18, 2025: Leo
May 11, 2025: The Deposit of Faith
May 4, 2025: Costly Mercy
April 27, 2025: Who is Peter?
April 20, 2025: I Make All Things New – Arise!
April 13, 2025: I Make All Things New – To Do My Penance
April 6, 2025: I Make All Things New – I Declared My Sin to You
March 30, 2025: I Make All Things New – I Firmly Resolve
March 23 2025: I Make All Things New – I am Sorry for Offending You
March 16, 2025: I Make All Things New – Examining Your Conscience
March 9, 2025: I Make All Things New
March 2, 2025: Pruning
February 23, 2025: The Anointed of the Lord
February 16, 2025: Be My Valentine
February 9, 2025: Wash Away My Guilt II
February 2, 2025: Wash Away My Guilt I
January 26, 2025: Catholic Education
January 19, 2025: Shall Marry You
January 12, 2025: Called by Name
January 5, 2025: Pilgrims of Hope
December 29, 2024: Priests for the Family
December 22, 2024: Messengers of Joy
December 15, 2024: Blessed Are the Poor
December 8, 2024: Love, Hope and Joy
December 1, 2024: Hope Does Not Disappoint
November 24, 2024: Are You King?
November 17, 2024: Seven Words
November 10, 2024: Tu es Petrus
November 3, 2024: Pray For Those Authority
October 27, 2024: These Are the Feasts
October 20, 2024: Someone Else
October 13, 2024: Be Prudent
October 6, 2024: Project and Dreams II
September 29, 2024: Projects and Dreams I
September 22, 2024: Pastor
September 15, 2024: Take Up Your Cross
September 8, 2024: Guardians of Shared Memory
September 1, 2024: From Their Hearts
August 25, 2024: The Cost of Discipleship
August 18, 2024: For Real?
August 11, 2024: Too Long For You
August 4, 2024: A New Manna
July 28, 2024: Bread of Life
July 21, 2024: Shepherds After My Own Heart
July 14, 2024: Woe to Me…
July 7, 2024: Come and Rest (II)
June 30, 2024: Come and Rest (I)
June 23, 2024: Storms
June 16, 2024: I Will be a Father to You
June 9, 2024: Burning Furnace of Love
June 2, 2024: In the Midst of Him
May 26, 2024: Forever I Will Sing the Goodness of the Lord
May 19, 2024: Through the Holy Spirit
May 12, 2024: The Ark of the Covenant
May 5, 2024: Source and Summit
April 28, 2024: Rejoice Always
April 21, 2024: I Believe in the resurrection of the body Part II
April 14, 2024: I Believe in the Resurrection of the Body Part 1
April 7, 2024: Rich in Mercy
March 31, 2024: Sine Dominico Non Possumus About Sunday
February 11, 2024: I Was Ill and You Cared For Me
February 4, 2024: Why Evil?
January 28, 2024: Catholic Schools Week
January 21, 2024: Attachments
January 14, 2024: The LORD Shines
January 7, 2024: Epiphany 2024
December 31, 2023: A Family of Families
December 25, 2023: New Beginnings
December 17, 2023: Christmas
December 3, 2023: Watch
November 26, 2023: Be Healed
November 19, 2023: Sealed
November 12, 2023: Religious?
