“Give us“: The trust of children who look to their Father for everything is beautiful. “He makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” He gives to all the living “their food in due season.” Jesus teaches us this petition, because it glorifies our Father by acknowledging how good he is, beyond all goodness.” Catechism of Catholic Church # 2828
I ponder on these words this morning and see God’s invitation to prayer. So often I’ve said, and told others, “I don’t ask God for my needs, He already knows what I need better that I do, so I’ll just praise Him instead.” How wrong the words of 2828 make that seem.
Prayer to the Father, to God Almighty, is essential to our trust in Him. Yes, no doubt He knows what we need before we ask, and knows better what we truly need. But, God is glorified by our asking. We bring great glory to God by the simple act of our prayer in trust.
When we come to God with the needs of our world and of our heart, we pray “Thy Will be done”, knowing that God’s Divine Will is always better than ours, always perfect. In our prayer of need, we acknowledge that God is good, the best of Fathers.
So, yes, I will still and always give my praise to God, our Father, Savior and strength. I will always acknowledge God’s greatness and power in my life before I ask anything of Him. Put first things first. But, I will glorify the Father by trusting Him to tell Him of what I feel I need. Maybe even to the point of letting God know what I think the answer should look like. But, always in trust offering my fiat, ‘Thy Will be done.’ Trusting that God will guide my thoughts, over time and trust, to be aligned with His Holy and Divine Will.
“Pray as if everything depended on God and work as if everything depended on you.” St. Ignatius Loyola