In the Jim Carrey film, Bruce Almighty, there is a scene when a distraught Bruce is driving a car and pleading with God to provide him with clear guidance. He cries out: “Lord, please send me a sign!”. Because the film is a comedy, the audience is treated to several funny visuals of brightly flashing neon signs pointing out exactly what lies ahead for him. But Bruce never recognizes them. It’s funny. And it’s telling.

Have you ever looked up toward heaven and asked for a sign? A signal? Some type of guidance? I surely have.

There are many, many biblical references to prayer that prompt us to seek when we pray. Here are just a few examples:

“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours”. – Mark 11:24

“Pray without ceasing”. – 1 Thessalonians 5:17

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working”. – James 5:16

“Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known”. – Jeremiah 33:3

“And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him”. – 1 John 5:15

The list is much longer than this, but you get the point. It’s worth praying. And when we pray, it’s definitely worth articulating our desires, hopes, and needs. Jim Carrey’s character, however, provides an important reminder: we may not always recognize the answer to our prayers. Additionally, God may desire something very different for us than what we’re seeking. He has our best interests at heart and possesses a far richer and deeper understanding of us than we ever will. Therefore, we could be focusing on our wants while God is more interested in our needs.

It is also worth considering a point articulated by Pope Benedict in his Jesus of Nazareth three volume series. He suggested that we should be careful not to test our Heavenly Father, not to make requests that are, in reality, our demands of him… resulting in a situation whereby our ultimate belief and trust in him is somehow predicated on receiving precisely what we have requested through prayer. In other words, we should not ask for something and then further our belief in God’s existence based on whether our wish is granted or not. Unfortunately, it’s very easy to fall into a trap and do exactly this.

We are accustomed to cause and effect dynamics in life whereby we test our environment and relationships, favoring instances when we have positive reactions and reinforcements and avoiding those that produce discomfort or worse. If I touch a hot stove, I likely won’t ever do it again.

This happens with relationships as well. If our interest in and affection toward another is rewarded, we draw closer. If not, we push away. Pope Benedict cautions us against doing something similar with God. This can happen when we pray and do not sense that there has been a “proper” answer, particularly if our prayer is for some type of signal or sign. When that doesn’t seemingly come, we might feel less inclined to ask in the future.

But faith requires trust in the goodwill, mercy, and unending love of our Creator God. And trust that God surely knows what is best for us. 

During Lent, we are called to search and to deepen our faith, trust, and understanding. We are asked to ponder the words and works of a Son who loves us so much that he sacrificed everything for us. We look to the cross and then what happens just a few days later. Let that be our greatest sign.