“W That are you looking for?” (Jn 1:38). This was the question Jesus asked to the two young men who would become his first two disciples. When we approach God, what are we indeed looking for? Magic or a faith relationship? Most of us long for magic. It is so fascinating. However, what all of us really need is faith. With magic you wave a wand and rabbits pop out of the top hat, but with faith you carry the cross. While faith moves mountains, magic is just a trick. We may have seen the movie, or at least heard of the story of Aladdin and his magic lamp. There is this young man with great dreams, and there is the great big genie. The genie is huge, and is all powerful. It is also obliging, devoted to Aladdin to the extent that he is bound to fulfill three of Aladdin’s wishes. All that Aladdin has to do is to rub the magic lamp, and out comes the Genie at the service of Aladdin.
Sadly, many approach God like He’s some big, great genie, and that whatever we ask He must do. All that we have to do on our side is not to rub a magic lamp, but to perform some extensive prescribed prayer exercises. At the end of it, we expect God to grant our wish, whatever it may be, when we want, and the way we want. This is precisely why many tend to give up on prayer. Very many of us are disillusioned and give up on prayer, only because we have mistaken God to be a genie. It is of utmost importance that we must remind ourselves there is none like God. There is no timing like God’s timing. There is no way like God’s way. Especially when things are not going our way, however highly we estimate our plans, we must remember God is God! Even when things are not happening in our time, we must know God is accomplishing the best for us in the best manner of things. So, if you are out there struggling in prayer, remember, there is none like God. Interestingly, the name of the archangel Michael translates as “there is none like God.” The church presents for our veneration the great archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. We read about Michael in the book of Daniel, and about Raphael in the book of Tobit, and about Gabriel in the Gospel of Luke and also in passing again in the book of Daniel.
As we read through the passage with the archangel Michael in the Biblical book of Daniel, we understand what really happens when we pray. The situation is where Daniel is praying intensely, with fasting and abstinence, for three weeks.
