yielded her fruit.
May God, our God bless us, may God bless us: and all the ends of
the earth fear Him."[127]

V

Should We in our Prayers ask for Anything Definite from God?

Our Lord taught the disciples to ask definitely for the things which are
contained in the petitions of the Lord's Prayer: _Thus shalt thou
pray._[128]

Maximus Valerius tells of Socrates[129] that he "maintained that nothing
further should be asked of the immortal gods save that they should give
us good things; and this on the ground that they knew well what was best
for each individual, whereas we often ask in our prayers for things
which it would be better not to have asked for." And this opinion has
some truth in it as regards those things which can turn out ill, or
which a man can use well or ill, as, for example, riches which, as the
same Socrates says, "have been to the destruction of many; or honours
which have ruined many; or the possession of kingdoms, the issues of
which are so often ill-fated; or splendid matrimonial alliances, which
have sometimes proved the ruin of families." But there are certain good
things of which a man cannot make a bad use--those, namely, which cannot
have a bad issue. And these are the things by which we are rendered
blessed and by which we merit beatitude; these are the things for which
the Saints pray unconditionally: _Show us Thy Face and we shall be
saved_;[130] and again: _Lead me along the path of Thy
commandments_.[131]

Some, however, say that we ought not in our prayers to ask for definite
things from God, thus:

1. S. John Damascene defines prayer as "asking from God things that are
fitting";[132] consequently prayer for things which are not expedient is
of no efficacy, as S. James says: _You ask and receive not, because you
ask amiss_.[133] Moreover, S. Paul says: _We know not what we should
pray for as we ought_.[134]

But it is also true that though a man cannot of himself know
what he ought to pray for, yet, as the Apostle says in the same
place: _In this the Spirit helpeth our infirmity_--namely, in
that, by inspiring us with holy desires, He makes us ask aright.
Hence Our Lord says that the true adorers _must adore in spirit
and in truth_.[135]

2. Further, he who asks from another some definite thing strives to bend
that other's will to do what the petitioner wants. But we ought not to
direct our prayers towards making God will what we will, but rat