“Persistence is Key” by Allison Provinsal, Fiat Ventures
17th Sunday of Ordinary Time
How often do we run to our best friend or confidant and beg them for answers to all our problems? We sit in Starbucks for hours chatting about our problems and trying to work out the answers, solve the problems, and seek change or answers from our friends and family. We think they can solve our problems and give us the right answers for our lives. We forget, they are human, just like us. And like ourselves, they do not have all (or any) of the answers to life! There is only one person who can answer every question, solve every problem and show us the path we should be walking for our lives, Our Heavenly Father! He has the road map for our lives and the answers to our prayers.
This Sunday’s Gospel from Luke reminds us of the boldness of prayer, and the humility we must have in coming to God with our every need. Jesus gives the example of the man going to his neighbor and asking for bread to give to his guests, since he himself has nothing to offer them. Jesus offers the advice, “If he does not get up to give the visitor the loaves because of their friendship, he will give him whatever he needs because of his persistence”. Personally I take this part of the reading as a reminder. Sometimes I can get caught up in feeling like God is not hearing or not answering my prayers. At the same time, I need to remember that God answers every prayer, we just need to be persistent in prayer. I love the term “prayer warrior”. We need to be persistent warriors of faith and prayer. Continually praying, sometimes over and over and over for the same prayer or intention. It is not because God did not hear the first time or first ten times we asked, it is because we need to humble ourselves and kneel before God, accepting his plan and his time. If you are praying, while keeping in mind that God WILL answer your prayers, in HIS time and in HIS way, you will never be disappointed. He answers all prayers, you just need to look for the answers sometimes, because they are often not the answers we anticipate or expect.
We are reminded at the end of the Gospel, “And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?” Jesus is confirming God’s promise to answer our prayers. When we ask for something God will respond. And not respond with a bad thing, but respond with good. Sometimes, it is all about perception. When God does not answer our prayers the way we expect, we can be tempted to feel like he answered our prayer for “an egg” with a “scorpion”. But again, perception is key! We need to look at the bigger picture of what good is coming from God’s answer to our prayer. God is good, he is love. He would never do us harm or send something evil our way. We need to just look at the big picture, pray and seek out the good in the situations we find ourselves in.
My encouragement is to continue to be persistent in prayer! Seek out God’s plan for your life. Look at the big picture to find unexpected blessings and unexpected answers to pray. You will be pleasantly surprised I think to find some blessings in disguise if you just look!
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