Good Things

There are some things that I have prayed and prayed for, only to find that they never seem to come to pass, the results are never received.  I understand that some prayers were for selfish things and James chapter four talks about one of the reasons for unanswered prayer is because we ask out of our own selfish desires. Yet, what about when we pray with a good heart and proper motives, and the prayer still does not seem to be answered?
   Take a moment to read Matthew 7:7-11, here Jesus gives us some instructions about asking and receiving. Jesus says that, in asking it will be given, in knocking it will be opened, and in seeking we will find.  Then He says, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! (Vs 11)”
   Jesus specifically says that the Heavenly Father will give good things when we ask.  Of course we can have many situations where we say we prayed and good did not come about, things got worse, or perhaps there was no apparent answer to the persistent prayer.  However, Jesus says the Father in heaven will give good things.  This means that God is answering and He is doing good things, it just might be that we are not seeing the good from His perspective.