Then Jesus told His disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. Luke 18:1
“Since we are in need of a great deal of assistance in order to advance, we join constant petition to our continual thanksgiving. Although the Lord grants us many graces without our asking for them, He permits other graces to come to us in proportion to the fervor of our prayer. Since we do not know the measure of petition, His unfathomable providence expects from us, it is necessary to keep praying with intensity.”
Francis Fernandez in In Conversation with God: Meditations for Each Day of the Year, volume 7 (London: Scepter, 1993) 200.
Adding constant petition to our continual thanksgiving is good advice from Fernandez that follows the instructions of Jesus to always pray and not lose heart.
The additional comment that our Lord “permits other graces to come to us in proportion to the fervour of our prayer” adds depth to the parable.
In plain terms, the more we persist and persevere in prayer, the greater the probability that God will hear and act from His unfathomable providence.
Do we live like we believe this. And notice how generosity comes into view. Let us pray for God’s blessings on those around us and anyone we serve with fervor.
This is the kind of generosity anyone can practice: offer continual thanksgiving with constant petition for our own needs and the needs of others.