Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  We are invited to approach God directly with our intentions as Abraham did in the first reading today.  Jesus tells us to be bold in our prayer - and to be persistent.  We ought not be selfish, however, asking for the things that we want.  Rather, our prayer should be that of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane: "Not my will, Father, but your will be done."