Please read the text before the commentary.
Once upon a time, A friend came banging on the door of a neighbor, asking for help feeding an old friend who had just come into town. The friend refused to help. He had just put his infant daughter to sleep and was in no mood to party. The friend, however, persisted, and finally the neighbor got up, opened the door, cleaned out the refrigerator, and gave him all he needed. The moral of the story is that the persistence of the one in need will eventually win.
Now, suppose that God and you are the people in the story. Are you waking God up asking for help, or is God beating down your door trying to get your attention?
Who is knocking? Who is asking for a fish? Who is asking for eggs?
Who is handing out scorpions, snakes and the like?
Our children ask for food and we feed them. We want the Holy Spirit. Is God going to give us Satan instead?
If God is knocking on our door, why do we not readily open it?
Do we not call God Father? Do we not want his kingdom to come? Do we not need food everyday for our bodies, minds and spirits? Do we not need to forgive and receive forgiveness every day? Do we not want to come to the end of our lives secure in God’s merciful love? Is not the Our Father part of our daily living?
Lord, teach us to pray. We need to emulate your patience and kindness for those who ask of you. We need the generosity you give us. We need to see beyond inconvenience to be welcoming. We need not to be bothered when you come beating on our doors. We need to be ready when you come to us for help. We need to remember that you are our parent, and we are all your children.