Will God Answer Your Prayer

Jesus said that God is a good Father, who won’t give us a snake if we ask for a fish, or a stone if we ask for bread.

The problem is sometimes, we ask Him for snakes and stones – we ask Him for things that won’t be good for us, or that won’t make us happy.

Consequently, we are allowed to ask God for worldly goods and the removal of trials, but He will only grant them if they will help us to our salvation, help us in our journey to heaven. 

In other words, we ask for

1.  healing from an illness

2.  safety on a journey

3.  the success of a project,

4.  or even for the elimination of some interior struggle,

only secondarily and conditionally

                                       ii.    Only God knows whether the worldly good we’re praying for is really optimal for our ultimate happiness.

1.  That’s why St. Paul prayed to be delivered from his “thorn in the flesh,” (II Cor 12:7ff) and God refused – because God’s power could be better manifested, and St. Paul’s mission could be better fulfilled, through Paul’s weakness.

So pray for what you need; know that God hears and answers every prayer; but He is a good Father who will always give what will serve to make you grow in His likeness. We may not like it now – but we will certainly thank Him in Heaven when we can see clearly.