“And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

 Do you ever wonder if God gets tired of listening to us? I know that I would certainly get tired of listening to my same old prayers over and over again.

When I was six or so, my neighbor down the street got a brand-new bike. That bike was the most glorious thing I had ever set my eyes upon. Large fat tires, gleaming handle bars, shiny red paint, a front basket to carry important things, and a bell to warn others who might get in the way. But I think what was most impressive to me was its size. It was the biggest honking bike I had ever seen. 

I wanted one, never mind that my neighbor was a six-foot teenager.

And so, my campaign with my father began. I asked; I dragged him down the street to see for himself. I left pictures I had cut out of a catalogue and strategically placed them around the house (e.g., in his coat pocket, on his chair at the dinner table, etc.). When I became desperate, I would whine. I was without ceasing!

My father listened patiently. I can't believe I didn't become annoying at times, but he listened patiently. Of course, he knew that I could never handle a big bike like that at my age, but he listened and determined what I needed. My birthday in June was coming up in a month, and when I woke up that morning, I found a shiny new red bike waiting on the front sidewalk, and it was just my size. (Yes, it had a horn and a basket!)

If I had just mentioned it once in passing, my father might have dismissed it as a passing fancy. Instead, through my persistence, he heard, he listened and he determined how to fulfill the "want," giving me what was best. 

God our Father is like that. The worst thing we can do is pray once, and then whine to ourselves and others that God doesn't hear our prayers, so why bother? God wants to hear from us. God wants to know what we want; God then determines our needs. God wants us to pray without ceasing.

God might not always answer our prayers the way we want, but God always answers and gives us exactly what we need in the moment.

Never stop praying!

By Debbie Bosak