What to pray for?

Last night I spent some prayer time praying for a loved one who is getting some medical news today-- maybe good, maybe bad. After having a month or more of radiation treatments, he will learn today if his brain tumor has disappeared, become smaller, or remains unchanged. It's hard to pray for such a situation. Instinctively we want to pray for our loved ones to be fine, to stay here and live a long life. But last night I prayed for peace in God's will. God gets so many requests in our prayers; I think sometimes He just wants us to accept His will.
I bought a children's book a few years ago. I bought it without reading it, which I don't usually do, but it was about Assisi, so I figured I couldn't go wrong. What a precious message this book has. In the story, set in Assisi, a little orphan's donkey becomes ill. The little boy wants to take the donkey into the Basilica of St. Francis for he believes if he can take the donkey to St. Francis, the donkey will be healed. The bishop tells the little boy that they will need to break down a wall in the Basilica to get the little donkey in. He tells the little boy that he will need to get permission from the Pope to break down the wall. The little boy travels to Rome to see the Pope and when he finally talks to the Holy Father he is told that while you can ask God for special favors, you must also be prepared to give. And that maybe God wants the little donkey to be by His side for all Eternity. He asks the little boy, "When you ask, will you also be willing to give?"
How hard it is to not always take, but to also offer up.