February 19, 2008

The Secret to Getting Everything You Pray For:
Needs Verses Wants

"Jesus said to his disciples: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened..." (Matt 7:7). This is a very popular quote from Jesus Christ.

Yet, this quote could be easily misused. The secret to getting everything you pray for is this: pray for what you need, not for what you want. God is our loving Father. He knows what we need. For example: You may be praying to win the Lotto. There was a TV program which followed the story of several Lotto winners. Winning the Lotto ruined their lives. There is even a 12-step program for those who are trying to recover from winning the Lotto. It may be God's mercy that you do not win the Lotto!

The lyrics of a popular song say this, "What you want may make you cry. What you need may pass you by. If you don't let it..." These are wise words. So, before you ask, seek and knock, pray for the grace to know how to pray. Your kingdom come, your will be done.

Pray, pray, pray

Fr. Luke Mary Fletcher, CFR
St. Joseph Friary, New York, NY

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