Exchange something for an answered prayer?

[AmericanRose]

Someone I know posed this question to me and I need some help thinking of an answer. She said, “If I gave up something I love or needed, in exchange for an answered prayer, does God accept that?” She told me about a situation she had, and how she had told God she would give up something she really loved to do for the return of something even more important that she had lost, and it happened. Another time she offered to God to keep something that was an annoyance for longer than she had to in exchange for something, and that happened too. I have no idea what to tell her

 

[RKS89]

Mortification definitely helps us in our daily prayer life. However, no amount of sacrifice or mortification will get you the answer you desire unless it is God’s will.

I know of more than a few instances where people have fasted while praying novenas for the conversion of an individual and been successful. Of course the Lord desires the salvation of all, so the intention and answer were aligned with His will to begin with. Prayer isn’t a business transaction, but we know that our sacrifices, mortification and growth in virtue increase the intensity and even efficacy (see James 5:16) of prayer.

Sometimes God’s answer is No, or Wait, or it’s an answer we never expected or necessarily desired when we started praying. We have to abandon ourselves to Providence and trust that whatever happens, provided we are striving for holiness, He is working out all things for our good.