God has won for us salvation from our sins and new life in Him, by Christ's dying and rising in the Paschal Mystery. And He invites us to draw close to Him, to be in a relationship with Him. He wants us to plead for His mercy, confident that He will give it. He wants us to persistently seek Him, as demonstrated by the parable of the person who comes to a friend at night, seeking food for guests.
We must be persistent, because it's all about actively seeking God. He wants us to pray as a way to grow in relationship with Him. Prayer may not always get us the answer we want, but it gives us His presence, which brings us alive in Him, in a whole new way.
Father Hurlbert very insightfully noted in his homily at Ascension this weekend that the one type of prayer in which we're always guaranteed the answer we seek is in the sacraments. For example, when we call down the Holy Spirit on the bread and wine, they actually become the Body and Blood of Christ. In reconciliation, we verily receive God's mercy, which we seek. Indeed, we encounter the very presence of God Himself.
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