17^th Sunday Ordinary Time

Luke 11:1-13

It would seem from this Sunday’s readings that the answer is, “Yes!”  We read in Luke 11:9-10 that Jesus says, “And I tell you, ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone asking receives, and the one seeking finds, and to the one knocking it will be opened.”

Yet God did not answer Jesus’ own prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane when he asked God to spare him from crucifixion: “Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; take this cup away from me; yet not what I will, but rather what you will.”  (Mark 14:36)

What is going on here?

Just like Jesus, we all have doubtless had the experience of asking God for something, and not getting it. Some people lose faith in God because God does not seem to be listening or responding to our deepest needs. Jesus seems to understand this in Gethsemane when he adds, “yet not what I will, but rather what you will.” The fact that Jesus begins this prayer with his conviction that God could answer this prayer because “all things are possible” for God, means that if God chooses not to give us what we ask for it is because God has a better idea for us. The question for us then becomes: are we prepared to recognize and receive this better idea?

Clearly, God does not always give us what we want when we want it. But then what does Jesus mean when he says, “everyone asking receives,”? If we don’t get what we asked for, what is it that we receive? How do we receive it?

I see three clues to an answer and two of them are in our passage from Luke. The first is we must be persistent. When we ask God for something, we cannot expect to have an immediate answer. Perhaps this is the beginning of what God wants to say to us. “You can live, you can go on for now, without this thing you think you need so badly.” It has happened to me that after a while, I realize I don’t want what I thought I wanted after all. Or I even end up being grateful God did not give me what I thought I wanted so badly. It was a passing want, not a genuine need.

In other cases you may find you do keep praying for something you really do seem to need. Perhaps God gives you what you want. Rejoice! This means you asked for something and God agrees it is good for you. If this does not happen, over time the prayer changes, and it often changes me. For example, instead of praying that “x” happen, or that I “get x,” I end up asking God to help me deal with my “x” problem. I believe this is what Jesus is referring to in the final verse, when he promises that God will give us the Holy Spirit, if we ask.

Another way constant prayer has changed me is that by learning how God answers prayers I have changed what I ask for and why. When I was younger I tended to ask for things for myself. Now I am more likely to ask for something spiritual, for example, a change of heart, in myself or others. I might ask for a thing, but it is going to be for someone else, say that a friend I know find a place to live.

The Holy Spirit also can inspire us to do something to help bring about what we want. For example, if you pray someone have a change of the heart, the Spirit will give you surprising ideas of what you can do, or not do, to bring this about.

Thoughts and Prayers?

What offends me when I hear politicians offer “thoughts and prayers” to victims of gun violence is the idea that prayer is a substitute for action. They offer prayers rather than passing laws to ban assault weapons, for example. The opposite is the case! Genuine prayer, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, will inspire you to take action to bring about what it is you are praying for. This has happened to me innumerable times. I prayed for something, kind of assuming God would take care of it, but later got the message from the Spirit that I had not bothered to take some steps to bring it about myself. I took those steps, and viola! Prayer answered.

The gift of the Holy Spirit will also empower us joyfully to accept whatever happens. The Spirit can enable us to transcend the longing, or to use it to take us to a different, better place. Jesus is telling us this will happen, provided we keep praying. If you keep praying, it means you have kept faith with God. God will keep faith with you in ways you cannot predict or control. That’s how the Holy Spirit works.

The third clue is revealed in how Jesus prayed in Gethsemane. He began by clearly telling God what he wanted. Honesty is critical for any healthy relationship, why should God be any different? If what you really want is a promotion at your job, or even something as silly as wanting your team to win a tournament, I think you should not be shy about telling God this is you what you want. This is what Jesus did.

Where you start  with your prayer will not be where you end up. After you tell God what you want you must strike the second note in the chord: ‘thy will be done.’ This is where faith is tested for us, as it was for Jesus. Jesus went to the cross betrayed by his friends and feeling abandoned by God. Yet he kept faith with God. The Father answered Jesus’ prayer with something better than what he asked for: Resurrection!

So far, God has eventually answered my prayers in this life. Sometimes by giving me what I asked for, sometimes by giving me something better, aka the Holy Spirit. The power to transcend what I asked for.

Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane was not answered in this life, however, but in what comes after death. I take this to mean that sometimes God will treat us the same.

We must be prepared for that, too. We need to pray that we will be!