Trusting the Heart of The Father

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the story of a man knocking on his friend’s door at midnight, asking for bread. The friend does not want to get up, but because the man keeps knocking, eventually he gives in. At first, it can sound as though Jesus is saying: “If you annoy God enough, eventually He will give you what you want.” But that is not the point. Jesus is not comparing God to the reluctant friend. He is contrasting them. If even a tired, irritated human being will eventually respond, how much more will your Father in heaven respond to you? The real question is not whether God is willing to give. The question is whether we trust His heart enough to keep coming back.

A lot of us stop praying not because we no longer believe in God, but because we are disappointed. We asked for something, and nothing seemed to happen. We prayed for healing, for peace in a family, for a relationship to be restored, for a door to open, and it did not happen the way we hoped. So slowly we stop knocking. We begin to think, “What is the point?” And Jesus says today: ask, seek, knock. Not because God is deaf, but because prayer changes the one who prays. Persistent prayer teaches us to bring our real desires before God, but it also teaches us to let those desires be purified.

And then Jesus says something important: “How much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?” In other words, God may not always give us the answer we expect, but He always gives us Himself. Sometimes we ask God to change the situation, and instead He gives us courage to endure it. Sometimes we ask Him to remove the cross, and He gives us strength to carry it. Sometimes we ask for a clear answer, and He gives us enough light for the next step. That can feel frustrating, but it is also deeper. God does not merely want to solve our problems. He wants to form us into sons and daughters who trust Him.

So perhaps the challenge today is simple: do not confuse silence with absence. A closed door does not always mean God has abandoned us. A delayed answer does not mean He is indifferent. Sometimes the deepest work of grace is happening in the waiting.

So keep asking. Keep seeking. Keep knocking. Bring God the same prayer again if you need to. He is not annoyed by your persistence. He is not tired of hearing your voice. The Father already knows what you need, but He still wants you to come close. And perhaps that is the gift hidden in unanswered prayer: sometimes the answer we are waiting for is not something God places in our hands, but a deeper trust He places in our hearts.

Prayer: Father, teach me to trust You when I understand, and even more when I do not. Give me the courage to keep asking, seeking, and knocking. When the answer is delayed, keep my heart from becoming bitter. Give me Your Holy Spirit, so that I may desire what is good, receive what You give, and trust that Your heart is always for me. Amen.

– Homily by Rev. Fr. Patrick Agbeko