Daily Gospel Reflection for February 26, 2015

Today's Gospel: Matthew 7:7-12

I’ll admit it—sometimes I have read this gospel passage and thought to myself, “Mark makes it sound so easy, Lord.” Then I’ve gone on to wonder why I make prayer so complicated.

“Ask,” we are instructed, “and it will be given.” Jesus teaches his followers to simply ask, seek, and knock. He assures them that the heavenly Father in his bounty will surely respond. Perhaps my misunderstanding of this passage has to do with my assumption that those “good things” that God will shower upon us are always exactly what I’ve laid out for him in my laundry list of petitions.

How often it seems that I will pray for something, only to perceive that my prayers have gone unanswered and later to learn that God—in his wisdom and majesty—has truly responded in love, if not exactly according to what I’ve requested. These days, I am trying to more faithfully trust God’s will and his boundless providence in my asking, seeking, and knocking.

Ponder:

When you have a need in your life, how willing are you to turn in trust and ask God for his help? What limits your trustful petitioning?

Pray:

Heavenly Father, you hear the murmurs of my heart even without a whispered word. Help me to remember to turn to you—to ask, seek, and knock—and to know always the fullness of your love for me.

We thank our friends at The Word Among Us for providing our gospel reflection team with copies of Abide In My Word 2015: Mass Readings at Your Fingertips. To pray the daily gospels with this wonderful resource, visit The Word Among Us.

Copyright 2015 Lisa Hendey