Question about prayer intentions and God's will

[Bataar]

If someone is praying to get a new job or a raise or for some kind of medical healing and they don’t receive that intention, one can state that they didn’t get it because it wasn’t God’s will. It wasn’t God’s will for that person to get that job, raise or healing. It’s disappointing, but it makes sense. What about when it comes to avoiding sin?

If a person has a habitual sin and they are trying to break the habit, they probably pray for strength to avoid the temptation and not give in. If God doesn’t give them extra strength to fight the temptation, it doesn’t make sense to say that it’s God’s will for the person to keep committing the sin. How would one interpret this?

 

[c1949]

Pope Benedict XVI says in one of his three books in the series on Jesus of Nazareth that we have a right and duty to pray for our needs. We should not despair of such prayer.

Personally I have some very big needs of a financial nature, as well as some health needs (there is no unimportant health need).

I am mortified by my knowledge that many have much less than I do, and I submit my requests in deepest humility. Our highest need and our greatest gift is having the opportunity for prayer.

I always place my need for God and his will ahead of any of my temporal needs. We need to rely on God’s providence .