When We Pray, What Shall We Ask?
By Don Rose
“Ask and it will be given to you.” That is the emphatic message of the
Gospels (Matthew 7, Luke 11). Our heavenly Father promised that he will
“give good things to those who ask him.”
What shall we ask? One who faced this question was Solomon of old. God
said to him, “Ask! What shall I give you?”
This set in motion a sequence of thoughts in the mind of Solomon, which
resulted in a humble speech, “And the speech pleased the Lord that
Solomon had asked this thing.” (1Kings, 3:10)
You or I might pause in trying to ask what to choose of God. Casual
wants might come to mind only to be discarded as not appropriate in a
petition to God. It is notable that God observed with favour what
Solomon did not ask. He did not ask for long life for himself nor for
riches nor for the death of his enemies.
He asked for something that would enable him to serve people wisely. And
it is remarkable that he did not refer to them as his people. He saw
them as God’s people, and he felt like a mere child contemplating the
task of serving them well.
Solomon asked for a wise and understanding heart. Virtually everyone
knows what is called the “serenity prayer.” It’s about things we can
change and things we can’t change, a prayer ending with the request for
wisdom “to know the difference.”
Since we may not always be wise in what we ask, it is good to conclude
our petition with the prayer that God’s will shall be done and not our
own. Here is the way it is put by theologian Emanuel Swedenborg:
In prayer, when inspired by God, there is always the thought and belief
that the Lord alone knows whether what is sought would be beneficial or
not. Therefore, the one who prays leaves the Lord to decide whether to
listen to what he asks for; then accordingly pleads that the Lord’s will
may be done, not his own, in keeping with the Lord’s words uttered in
Gethsemane.”
Not my will, but yours.
While I am quoting from my own theological orientation, I would add
something about a prayer which I understand is always granted. We pray
for help in overcoming our own shortcomings and evils.
That prayer, according to Swedenborg, resonates with the will of God. We
ask for help, and “this is not denied to anyone, but is granted to all;
for the Lord is in continual effort, from His divine love, to reform and
regenerate all people, and so to purify them from evils. And when a
person also intends it, this personal effort of the Lord becomes an
act.” (Doctrine of Charity, paragraph 203)
Start by saying, “Lord help me to….”
Say those words slowly and see what sincere things come from your heart
and into your prayer. There are things better than selfish ambitions.
They may have to do with changes you would make in your life and
character.
God has the power: if you really want it and are wiling to do your small
part, then ask and keep asking. As the Bible says, pray and do not loose
heart.
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