Effective Prayer
Today's Gospel reading (Mt. 7:7-11) is sage advice on how to pray effectively. Since it comes from God himself, there is no reason for us to doubt it.
I used to pray ardently for something I wanted and often have ended up wondering why my prayers were not answered. Some time ago I read an article that said that God doesn't not answer prayers. He actually answers all prayers with any of these options:
- Yes, I shall grant you what you ask
- No, I shall not grant you what you ask
- Not now, I have something better planned for you
Eventually I decided to pray as Jesus does as at Gethsemane, where although He asked for the cup of suffering to be removed, He still acknowledged and submitted to the Father's will. Now I ask God for something and end the prayer by telling Him that I shall submit to whatever He has in mind for me, gratefully.
This gives me more peace, as I accept that if the outcome I desire doesn't materialize, God has something else in store for me. I can easily dismiss "unanswered" prayers as being merely my wants and not something I need.