Petitionary Prayers

This article was written by our Archbishop William God for daily reading and reflection and I found it interesting and inspiring, thus I re-write it again here.

Sources : Archbishop William God Fb page

Can we really believe that if we ask, seek and find persistently enough, we will surely get what we want in life? The reverse seems to be more true because there are many instances in life when the more we ask, the more we do not get; the more we seek, the further away we get; and the more we knock, the more we are ignored.

In matters of faith and love, they are pure gifts from God. They cannot be attained simply by human persistence or effort. Even before we ask for anything, God has already given to us because He knows what we need. Does it mean therefore that we should give up praying, especially the prayer of petition? Of course not!

What is the value of the prayer of petition then? Firstly, the prayer of petition is but a prayer of discernment. The truth is, we become what we pray. What we pray for tells us about ourselves, who we are, our values and desires in life. For those who are spiritually weak, their prayers consist mainly of material and temporal favours. Most prayers tend to be focused on the needs of the individual. Those of us who have grown in spiritual maturity tend to be more inclusive in their prayers, embracing others and even those whom they do not know. Their prayers go beyond temporal needs to spiritual favours, especially for peace, love, unity etc. Indeed, what we pray is what we will become. For this reason we must be extremely careful about how and what we pray for. Thus, in order to pray rightly, we need to discern well. The prayer of petition therefore is the way in which and by which we vocalise our desires. By verbalising our desires, we crystallise our aspirations and wants. In so doing, we can therefore more objectively distinguish what we really need, that is, those things that are really good for us and what we want, which may be to our detriment.

The second purpose of the prayer of petition is that it is but a prayer of self-realisation. Now, if Jesus encourages us to ask, it is because asking, seeking and finding would be the necessary ways by which we can come to know the foolishness of asking, seeking and finding those things that are detrimental to our happiness and total well-being.

If only we can be contented with what we have and when the opportunity presents itself, we might have less complications in life than insisting on acquiring what is not ours. The paradox of life is that the moment we stop desiring, this is when God takes over. God knows what to give us and what is best for us. The moment we stop asking and searching, we return home, to ourselves. In returning to ourselves, we will realise that we can be happy just simply being ourselves because the Holy Spirit already lives in us. That is to say, we become who we really are.

The third reason for the prayer of petition is that it might ultimately end up as a prayer of praise and thanksgiving. A person can only be filled with the spirit of praise and thanksgiving when he stops asking. And he stops asking only because he has become aware that he is complete; that he does not need anything else to be happy; that his happiness is ultimately to be one in Spirit with God. In other words, when we desire what God wants for us, we will always be happy, regardless of the situation we are in.
True and total freedom removes all fear and therefore brings the joy that only the Spirit of God can give.