Praying in Tune

If you want to be a good athlete, you must have discipline and perseverance. Consider a runner: to develop good endurance, he has to practice. Track after track, sweat, tenacity; today his time is not good, but with each passing day it will improve until he achieves the time that takes him to the top and enables him to win the medal.

Do you want to be a good hitter? You cannot imagine how many balls you will have to hit to achieve it; your arm will grow tired and hurt as you cannot imagine, but in the end it will be strengthened, and you will be able to hit that long-awaited home run.

If you want to be a major-league Christian, you must ask as you ought. If you ask God for patience, He will allow countless difficult situations that you did not expect to enter your life. You will wonder, “What part of your request did God not understand?” You will feel like a magnet, attracting every kind of difficult person to you; things you never imagined will happen to you, and you will cry out for Divine help because you do not realize that you are receiving it!

God is the best coach you could ever have. He always knows which trials will strengthen you, and He will bring them your way because you asked Him to exercise you in that area. But you can be sure that when you have passed all the trials, you will be a champion. Your greatest opponent is Satan, but even he will not be able to defeat you, because your coach has no equal; He is unique, He is the best.

If you feel that you are not fit to compete, then review your expectations. You cannot compete in world championships; you have to settle for local competitions. Do not ask for patience; ask God to remove from your path the problems that could cause you to lose your temper. Do not ask God to make you faithful; ask Him to remove temptations if you believe you will not be able to resist them.

Be in tune with your capabilities when asking God for what you wish to receive, because, although it may seem contradictory to you, He always knows what you need, but you must let Him know whether you are capable of receiving it.

He will understand you because He is your Father, and although we do not always agree, we parents understand our children and have compassion on them. How much more will He, who is perfect in His love.