Dear Omar:

That cliché of "God gives us that we need, not what we want" is not from the Bible, but it does contain a grain of truth, but only a grain. Obviously, God does not give us "everything" we want. He would be a terrible Father if he gave us everything we asked for. But, a father does enjoy giving his children things they want, within reason. The most important things are needs that are required for living, but that does not preclude gifts of joy for things that are perhaps not needed, but are wanted for joy sake.

The most famous of several passages that refer to "ask and you shall receive" is Matthew 7:7-11):

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.  "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

But, again this does not mean we get everything we want. The heretical Prosperity Gospel people use this and other verses as an excuse to indulge their wants, saying "if you want a Rolls Royce, ask God, believe the He will get you one, and you will have one." Not true.

St James tells us:

(James 4:2-3)  You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

We can ask God for things we want, even if they are not needed, but if we ask for things with wrong motive, our Father will say no. If I ask God for a Porche I can guarantee you he will say no for three reasons: 1) I do not need a Porche; 2) He knows that I do not have the money to even avoid the insurance on one; and 3) I am asking out of wrong motivations — avarice.

Now, if I ask God to inspire people to donate to our organization because we believe He wants us to continue this work, then I am not asking out of improper motives, but a motive of serving God inasmuch as He wishes me to continue doing this apostolate.

All of our prayers must end with what Jesus said in the Garden when he was asking the Father to take away the cup that was to come in his torture and death: "nevertheless, Thy will be done."

It is God's will for us to enjoy life, not to just live it. To enjoy life we can have things beyond what is strictly needed for us to survive. If we were given only those things that we strictly need, life would be very hard. Some people have only that, or barely the things they need. We must pray for those people. But, there is no sin in having more than what we just need within limits.

A good Father will always place limits on his children's wants.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary