Reflection
Let’s be honest – in the first few verses of today’s Gospel, Jesus seems to paint the Father in a very unflattering light. Is Jesus saying our prayers will be answered if we pester Him to the point of annoyance? If so, I will go to daily Mass praying to win the lottery!
Later in the Gospel, however, Jesus tells us that God answers our prayers because He loves us. Persistent prayer is how we come to love Him. Jesus asks us to do three things: ASK, SEEK and KNOCK.
Ask and you will receive
God wants us to pray always, and He will answer in His own way and His own time. In the preceding chapter, Jesus taught us to ask for our daily bread in the Lord’s Prayer. In the parable, the persistent neighbor is given not just the three loaves he requested, but all the bread he needed.
Seek and you will find
Some people, on occasion, may find their prayer answered promptly by a sudden stroke of good fortune or the quick resolution of a problem. More often, however, God’s response evolves gradually. Our initial wish may develop into something more appropriate, or He may be answer it in a totally unexpected way.
For prayer is request. The essence of request, as distinct from compulsion, is that it may or not be granted. And if an infinitely wise Being listens to the requests of finite and foolish creatures, of course He will sometimes grant and sometimes refuse them.
-C. S. Lewis
Like a good parent, if our request if for something that may ultimately harm us, His answer may be “no”. He may not always give us what we want, but He knows what we need. He may provide us with something better. It can take some effort on our part to recognize this. We have to seek if we hope to find.
Knock and it will be opened
Unlike the man in the parable, God is not annoyed by our persistence. Like a loving parent, He wants to hear from us regularly. Consistent prayer demonstrates our faith in Him and our anticipation that, somehow, our prayers will be answered.
Ultimately, He answers our prayers with the ultimate gift. He sends the Holy Spirit to guide us, teach us and strengthen us.
