既然在我們祈求天父之前，祂已經知道我們需要甚麼（瑪6:8），那麼，我們為甚麼還要祈求呢？問題在於我們需要甚麼，與我們祈求甚麼，是兩回事！
首先，有些人非常自大，覺得天主不存在；即使存在，亦不需要祂的幫助，所以不向天主祈禱。他們喪失了一個成為天主子女的機會，一個認識自我的機會。我們惟有為這些人祈禱，希望有朝一日，他們認識真理，懂得作為天主子女的幸福，主動向天父祈禱。我們為他們祈禱，並非出於我們的需要，而是為別人的需要祈禱。即使如此，天父不一定會應允，因為這不一定是天父的旨意！所以，為患病的朋友祈禱痊癒時，應該小心，不要陷於「試探天主」的誘惑（路4:9-12）！
在大部份的情況下，我們不認識自己，不認識自己需要甚麼。因此，我們向天父祈求一些我們不需要的事物。即便我們鍥而不捨地祈求，為了我們的益處，天父也不會賜給我們。不過，天父卻會賜予我們沒有祈求，卻是我們所需要的東西。既然求而不得，不求反得，那麼，我們真的不需要祈禱了？大錯特錯！
當我們祈禱，感謝天父的恩賜，尤其是為我們沒有祈求卻獲得的恩賜時，我們開始認識自己的真正需要。我們會更認識自己，和自己與天父的關係！漸漸地，我們會更認識自己的需要，我們的祈禱更有成果！因此，所有祈禱由感恩開始！
聖神啊！當我們不知道我們如何祈求纔對時（羅8:26），求祢代我們轉求罷。亞孟。
Gratitude Before Prayer (Matthew 6:7-15)
If our heavenly Father already knows what we need before we ask Him (Matthew 6:8), then why should we ask? The problem is that what we need and what we pray for are two different things!
First of all, some people are arrogant. They don't acknowledge the existence of God. Even if He exists, they don't need His help. Thus, they don't ask God. These people have lost an opportunity to become God's children and an opportunity to know themselves. We can only pray for them that one day, they know the Truth and the happiness of being God's children and start taking the initiative to pray to the Father. We pray for them not out of our needs but for theirs. Even as such, the Father may not necessarily grant our wishes because they may not be God's will! Therefore, be careful when we pray for the recovery of our friends who have fallen sick. Do not fall into the temptation of testing God (Luke 4:9-12)!
In most cases, we do not know ourselves and what our needs are. Thus, we ask the Father for what we don't need. Even if we ask persistently, for our sake, the Father will not grant us our wishes. However, the Father still grants us what we have not asked but we need. Well, since we ask and get not and get what we haven't asked, then we really don't need to ask, right? You can't be more wrong!
When we pray, we thank the Father for things He grants, especially for what we have not asked. Then we begin to truly know our needs. We will know ourselves and our relationship with the Father better! Gradually, we will know our actual needs. Then our prayers will be more effective! Thus, prayers begin with gratitude!
Holy Spirit! When we don't know how to pray as we ought (Romans 8:26), intercede for us please. Amen.
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