Kirkepiscatoid

Ok, we start the versicles and a collect as we move towards the supplication....

V. O Lord, let thy mercy be showed upon us;
R. As we do put our trust in thee.

Let us pray.

Almighty God, who hast promised to hear the petitions of
those who ask in thy Son's Name: We beseech thee mercifully
to incline thine ear to us who have now made our prayers
and supplications unto thee; and grant that those things
which we have asked faithfully according to thy will, may be
obtained effectually, to the relief of our necessity, and to the
setting forth of thy glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

I got to thinking about that “be obtained effectually, to the relief of our necessity, and to the setting forth of thy glory,” part.

I have a feeling God cares more about “necessity” than “frills and fringe benefits,” when it comes to our petitions. I never could get into that “prosperity Gospel” mindset where you ask for cars and to win Powerball. He provides for us, and it’s pretty clear to me his provisions are not necessarily “exactly what we ordered.” God gives us what we truly need, and I think most of these things are more related to awareness than it is actual things.

So many times, the “relief of our necessity” is not so much a physical thing, but a realization that “something’s changing for the better.” it’s sometimes just the feeling of letting go when our cares are overburdening us. Or perhaps just a feeling of peace.

These things, if we are aware, can have an outward effect. They can move us closer to God if we earnestly follow them.

The “relief of our necessity” can be found in joy, in pain, in light, in darkness. But it, like a lot of spiritual things, can also be elusive, fleeting, something we are yearning for and not finding. Looking seems to make them more elusive.

So we ask and wait. Our answer is not always the answer we asked for. It might not even look like an attractive answer at the time, but over time, it can grow into something better than what we asked for.