Editorial March 17, 1973 Issue

Ask for the Ultimate

Carl J. Welz

When seeking a healing of a painful physical condition, there's little question what we are asking for. Let's get rid of the pain, we say. Find its cause and correct it. Hope it won't ever come back. But are we asking for the right thing?

When working out human relationship problems, how often we ask in prayer for changes in people and things. Perhaps we feel under pressure, think people are stubborn or selfish, long for strength to cope or ability to measure up. We may ask to be shown how to love more or to be loved more, or to overcome emptiness. Our asking may be clear to us, but is it effective prayer?

Christ Jesus said, "If ye have faith, and doubt not, ... if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."^{Matt. 21:21, 22;} However, the faith that Jesus made a condition for successful asking is not something that can be expressed blindly.