Before teaching his disciples the Our Father, Jesus says to them, “Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” And what a beautiful truth this is. To be known and to be loved before even uttering a word is a divine gift unlike any other. But it does raise the question, what is the use in asking God for what we need if he already knows?
True, God already knows what we need, but do we? When we enter into prayer, we enter into a relationship that will necessarily transform us. Though our desires may seem obvious, naming and vocalizing them helps us to really see them for what they are. Placing those desires in God’s hands through prayer, requires a certain level of trust and openness. God knows what I need, and what I desire may not be exactly what I need. It may require a fine-tuning of our desires, patience in waiting for them to be fulfilled, or a letting go, all the while paying attention to the movements in our hearts and the signs of God’s will in our lives.
Above all, we must trust in God’s infinite wisdom and love that will never cease to provide for us. As Ruth Burrows puts it, “Divine love continually upholds the fragile creature that has risked all for its sake.”