Manifesting or Asking?

I've been studying a lot lately on manifestation. This is a concept that has to do with creating things in your life. Things like circumstances, jobs, money, health, security, relationships, happiness and more. A lot of people speak about this, write about it and create businesses around it. One of the most successful projects around this concept came out a few years ago. It was a movie called "The Secret." 

On a very basic level, the idea revolves around the thoughts you think. If you think positively, you will create positive results. If you think negatively, you will create negative results.  This is something I learned over 20 years ago and it does work. I'm still not exactly clear on the manifestation piece which is why I'm studying it again. It's much more complicated than "thinking anything you want into existence." 

Yesterday I had an interesting experience that I think is worth sharing. I was driving to a meeting and I happened to be listening to a program on SiriusXM's The Catholic Channel called Pathways Of Learning. The show is about what life can teach you and how your faith can teach you about life and the world you live in. I've never tuned into this show before nor had I ever heard of it. I was only listening for 30 seconds and someone called in and said that he lost his job, he prayed and dedicated his situation to the Blessed Mother and he immediately found another job that he loves and he gets paid more for. 

Of course that got me thinking about all the studying I've been doing. It was like a smack aside my head! Here I am trying to figure out how to manifest something in my life and everything I'm reading and studying mentions nothing about asking God for it. Some material says that God wants to give you everything you want but it doesn't say anything about asking God for it. I was blown away. I was tuned into that show for 30 seconds max and the message I got in 30 seconds trumps what I've been studying for years. 

I also discovered something else. Most of the material out there on manifestation leaves God completely out of the picture. I understand that, so if I read something that does, I insert him into the equation. To me it makes much more sense that way. But it's also very dangerous. When we begin to believe that we can create a wonderful life apart from God, we are heading in the wrong direction. While it appears that some people do very well under this philosophy, they are shutting out the one who makes it all possible. Sooner or later they will realize how empty their life truly is. 

So, friends, today I pray for belief. Belief in a God who wants to give us everything we desire...when we ask. Then it is given through him and we know it's according to his will. 

"Ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you shall find. Knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." --Matthew 7:7-8