Can you ask God for too much?

[PeteZaHut]

I feel like God has been very generous to me. At every significant stage of my life and through every major problem I’ve had, God has always guided me through it and has made things turn out so perfectly. I think “But why me?” Lots of people have very hard lives. Things in my life could have easily gone the other way around, but they didn’t. I think about the whole “the last shall be first and the first shall be last thing.” On one hand, I think that with all God has given me, it would be wrong for me to doubt that He will not continue to take care of me. On the other hand, I feel like it’s selfish for me to continue to ask God for things considering all He has given me in the past. What is the right attitude to have about this?

 

[TristanCross]

Nothing is too much for God. He is Eternal in every way. That includes love.

Matthew 7:8
For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Matthew 21:22
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

Luke 11:10
For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

John 16:24
Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

 

[phoenix3212]

I don’t think there’s much risk involved, really. If you do ask for too much, the answer would obviously come back as “no.”

 

[baltobetsy]

Make God’s will be the first part of your petitions, showing your willingness to leave it all in His hands. If He says yes, that’s great. If He says no, that’s great, too, because it’s His holy Will.

Betsy

 

[Eucharisted]

We ask for too much when we demand God to do lots of things for us without “earning” the graces. For example, you can’t “earn” patience just by sitting on your bum all day. A better example goes like this, from St. Fastina’s diary:

This morning after completing my spiritual exercises, I began at once to crochet. I sensed a stillness in my heart; I sensed that Jesus was resting in it. That deep and sweet consciousness of God’s presence prompted me to say to the Lord, “O Most Holy Trinity dwelling in my heart, I beg you: grant the grace of conversion to as many souls as the stitches that I make today with this crochet hook.” Then I heard these words in my soul: My daughter, too great are your demands. “Jesus, You know that for You it is easier to grant much rather than a little.” **That is so, it is less difficult for Me to grant a soul much rather than a little, but every conversion of a sinful soul demands sacrifice." **Well, Jesus, I offer You this whole-hearted work of mind; this offering does not seem to me to be too small for such a large number of souls; You know, Jesus, that for thirty years You were saving souls by just this kind of work. And since holy obedience forbids me to perform great penances and mortifications, therefore I ask You, Lord: accept these mere nothings stamped with the seal of obedience as great things." Then I heard a voice in my soul: **My dear daughter, I comply with your request. ** (Divine Mercy In My Soul)

 

[Victorious]

My opinion? We ask God for TOO LITTLE.

He wants to give us diamonds, and we ask for rhinestones. He wants to give us a mansion, and we ask for a tin shack with a dirt floor. He wants to give us an enormous Thanksgiving feast, and we ask for a baloney sandwich. He wants to heap treasure on us, and we’d rather have a pile of trash.

We’re too much attached to the things of this world, and therefore, we’re penny-ante.

 

[Christy_Beth]

Yes, we ask for too little. But, we usually ask for all the wrong things. Many (including myself) have a hard time accepting that the answer to prayer may be a “no,” or even, “later.”