Requesting material benefits from God can be considered ethical if it is done with an understanding of the true priority of the spiritual, rather than merely for the purpose of satisfying selfish desires.

Balancing Earthly Desires with Spiritual Wisdom

Requesting material benefits from God can be considered ethical if it is done with an understanding of the true priority of the spiritual, rather than merely for the purpose of satisfying selfish desires. According to some authors, the very act of asking for earthly well-being is natural and understandable, as a person often strives to provide for themselves and their loved ones with what is necessary for life. In this sense, the request is not devoid of reasonableness, but it requires inner humility and an awareness of the limitations of human understanding compared to God's wisdom.

Thus, one source states: "And does man even know what he should ask for, what his true good is?

And was not Socrates, that Christian, who, having not awaited Christ, asked God not to send him what he requested unless it was for his benefit, and to send him what he did not desire if it constituted his true 'well-being'? ... A person asking for earthly goods performs an act that is extremely understandable and natural, perhaps even psychologically inevitable. But does this act not imply excessive 'competence', excessive 'knowledge' on the part of man and insufficient knowledge, foreknowledge on the part of God? As if God's providence required instructions and reminders, while human reason could know the paths and destiny..."
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On the other hand, it is emphasized that material benefits occupy only a secondary and temporary position:
"As for those material goods and worldly successes that we achieve, they can be asked of God. But one must remember that they have secondary and temporary significance."
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This indicates that although asking for material goods is not in itself sinful or unethical, the true purpose of turning to God should be aimed at seeking that which has eternal significance—spiritual nourishment, guidance, mental clarity, and holiness. Such an approach cautions against excessive confidence in one's own understanding of needs and consequences, reminding us that the true good is known only to God.

Thus, the arguments in support of this practice consist of the fact that the natural human desire to strive for material security can be justified if it is accompanied by humility and the acceptance of God's will. The arguments against a focused request for material blessings emphasize that an overemphasis on the earthly may divert a person from a higher, eternal, and spiritual path, and also imply a certain competence that, in essence, one does not possess.