P.U.S.H. – Pray Until Something Happens

 

“…he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.”

– Luke 11:8

You know that proverb “The squeaky wheel gets the grease”? Well, that’s how I am with the Lord sometimes. When I am on frustration overload due to an oft-repeated unanswered prayer, or super-stressed because of a problem that needs an immediate solution or going through a particularly painful episode with some ailment or other, I turn into a squeaky wheel. I picture myself as a terrible toddler throwing a tantrum in front of the Lord. “Thy will be done” gets thrown out of the window. Do you do that sometimes?

In yesterday’s mass, Fr. James Gascon, SJ, had these elements to impart about prayer and persistence:

"The Gospel speaks about the person who prays. The Lord reminds them to be persistent. Sa kakulitan they get what they get. Jesus reminds His disciples to never give up.

It is a reminder to whom we pray – the father is a good father who will give us whatever we ask in persistence. However, the difficult question is: if the father knows everything why do we have to keep asking/repeating?

 The Lord gives not what we ask for but what is best for us. More than that God will give the Holy Spirit – “How much more will the Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask.” (Luke 11:13) The fruit of prayer is not that we get what we want or need but we are given the power to discern. When we keep praying and praying, we get enlightened and know the difference between a want and a need. That is what God gives us, the gift of discernment – a powerful tool that not only helps us distinguish good from bad but want from need. And most importantly, the Holy Spirit enlightens us that God may have already answered our prayer not the way we want but the way God makes us good. It helps us not to just distinguish but listen. When we do, we ourselves become the instrument to make our prayer a reality. The end of discernment is action."

So, pray until something happens. What “happens” may not always be what we want but what we need. It may be a need for us to act on our problem.

OR, as has happened in my case several times, the Lord gives in to my kakulitan. I remember my LG head Myrna once told me in our chat, “Help me pray. Malakas ka naman kay Lord.” I replied, “Makulit lang.”

So, whatever may be the fruit of our prayers, let’s persist because God will give the best.