Dad, may I have some money?

Prayer is often misunderstood, particularly by unbelievers, but also by believers. The key thing to remember about prayer is that while it is a servant to Master relationship, the Master is not the one who prays, but the one receiving the prayer. God is in no way obligated to answer any prayer, regardless of who prays it, how many times they pray it, or even how outwardly good they are. There is a vitally important aspect God pays attention to: The motives.

Picture a teenager in three identical scenarios. In each scenario, he is asking his dad for a sum of money. In the first, the son is not doing a lot to ensure the father is listening. He's locked himself in his room, he has his headphones on full volume, and he's listening to some very aggressive rock music. He then says aloud "dad, can I have some money?" Little does he know that despite having locked his bedroom door, his dad is actually already in the room, and has heard his child's strange request.

In the second scenario, the son is fully aware of his dad's presence, and fully acknowledges it, but he has a bad reputation with his dad when it comes to money. Last time he received money, he spent it on drugs and alcohol.

In the third scenario, the son is still fully aware of his dad's presence, and still fully acknowledges it, but his dad knows that he can trust his son. If he gives him the money, he will spend it wisely.

In which scenario will the son most likely receive his money? Obviously, the wise son will be most favored. The first son represents an unbeliever. Unbelievers typically don't pray, and when they do, it is usually in a desperate attempt to prove prayer doesn't work. Why should God answer those who claim they don't believe in Him?

The second son represents unfruitful believers. To many people, God is a means to an end, not an end in Himself. The servant and Master roles are reversed, and God's leadership is challenged. Prayer becomes less about the will of God and more about the will of the Christian. Should such people receive a positive response? If God answers such prayers, it is only to show the folly of praying them.

The third son represents a faithful believer. We pray according to the will of God, and as such recognise that even when we have good intentions with our prayers, sometimes they do not fit in with the wisdom of God. Perhaps we may receive an answer. Perhaps, in His wisdom, He will reward us by not giving the answer we wanted. This is the nature of prayer: God is in control, and is fully aware of how to best use that control.

Let us therefore treat prayer as it should be. Let us purge our hearts of all malice. If there is anything in our hearts that is contrary to God, let our first prayer be that He would remove it. While it remains, no other prayer is worth praying, because we will most likely receive a very firm "no".