The lecture speaks about the true spiritual meaning of the phrase: “Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you,” explaining that God’s response to prayer is not connected merely to asking, but to what agrees with His good will and divine wisdom. Pope Shenouda III explains that a person sometimes asks for things he believes are beneficial, while God sees what is better for his salvation and spiritual life.
Spiritual and Educational Points
God does not withhold goodness from His children, but He gives what is more beneficial for their salvation and not always what they ask for literally.
Many requests may be unsuitable or not beneficial, therefore prayer should be according to God’s will.
Illness or hardship may be allowed by God for a spiritual benefit, such as humility, repentance, or returning to God.
Accepted prayer needs a pure heart and a life of repentance, because “the prayer of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord.”
It is not enough for a person only to ask God, but he must also work, struggle, and carry his responsibility.
A person’s requests should first be spiritual, such as seeking the Kingdom of God and righteousness, and not focusing only on material matters.
Love and giving to others have a direct relationship with the response to prayer, because as a person gives, he receives.
God sometimes delays the response to the proper time that He sees in His wisdom, not because God forgets or neglects.
The relationship with God should be based on love and spiritual fellowship, not merely on need and requests.
True prayer is with faith, humility, persistence, and complete surrender to God’s good will.
The General Message of the Lecture
The main message is that prayer is not a means for imposing human desires on God, but rather a fellowship of love, trust, and surrender between man and God. And God, in His wisdom and love, always responds in a way that fulfills the true good and eternal salvation of His children, even if the response appears different from what the person asks for.
“For better translation support, please contact the center.”
The Sermon on the Mount – Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you – Part 1
The lecture speaks about the true spiritual meaning of the phrase: “Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you,” explaining that God’s response to prayer is not connected merely to asking, but to what agrees with His good will and divine wisdom. Pope Shenouda III explains that a person sometimes asks for things he believes are beneficial, while God sees what is better for his salvation and spiritual life.
Spiritual and Educational Points
The General Message of the Lecture
The main message is that prayer is not a means for imposing human desires on God, but rather a fellowship of love, trust, and surrender between man and God. And God, in His wisdom and love, always responds in a way that fulfills the true good and eternal salvation of His children, even if the response appears different from what the person asks for.
“For better translation support, please contact the center.”