"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asks for a loaf of bread, or a snake when he asks for a fish? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him. "Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. This is the law and the prophets. (Mt 7:7-12)
Do we receive all that we ask from God? This is the mystery of all prayers. What Jesus tells us here is that we should relate to God as children to their father. The attitude should be so that we go to him as children go to their father. Father always will want to give to his children what they ask for and what they need. It is not selfish to ask God for things that we need. It is the natural thing that children are supposed to do with parents.
There are times in which our prayers have not worked. Yes prayer is a mystery. It is difficult to understand/answer this when what we ask for true and they are legitimate yet we do not receive it. We shall fully understand this only when we see God face to face.
What Jesus asks us is to treat God as Father and make him know how things are with us. We have to ask, seek, and knock. We will receive our bread and fish. God will never let us down. This is the belief of the Bible and this is what Jesus has lived in this world and this is what he wants his followers to believe in. The followers should reflect this God in their lives: "Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.”
