Our faith is so small. It’s as if we are children of a multi-billionaire but never ask for anything more than a pack of gum from our father. God has so much He desires to share with us, but we are too weak-minded to understand and too immature to grasp all that our position in life affords us. We are co-heirs with Jesus to all God has (Romans 8:16-17).
And yet, most of our prayers are for tiny trinkets and selfish comforts. Why don’t we pray big prayers? Are we afraid God won’t answer in the way we desire, so we shy away? I submit we don’t pray big prayers because our faith is far too small. The more we trust Christ, the bigger our prayers will become.
God hears every prayer His children pray when we offer them according to His will (1 John 5:14). We know the faithful prayer of one covered by the blood of Jesus is powerful (James 5:16), so why do we not pray big prayers? Our heavenly Father longs to give us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4), so why not ask for them?
James reminds us we don’t have because we don’t ask (James 4:2). Now, read in context, you must understand he isn’t talking about getting a bigger house or better health simply because you ask. He is talking about spiritual growth and power, not physical blessings and rewards. His point is if we desire spiritual victories and the advancement of God’s Kingdom, we’ve got to pray for them. Spiritual maturity is ours for the asking.
It’s time we as the Church move beyond the immature prayers of health and safety. There’s nothing wrong with praying for those things as long as we move beyond them. There will be times when living our faith will not be safe or comfortable (John 16:33). A sin-stained world assures us we will not always be healthy (Romans 8:20-23). In those times, will we still serve Jesus? Will our commitment wane when our personal comfort and ease fade? That’s the problem with little prayers. When we don’t see immediate results, they discourage us from praying bigger prayers. We may as well skip the little stuff then and move on to big, bold prayers.
I believe praying big prayers is the duty of every disciple of Jesus. We don’t want to face Christ knowing we could have done more if only we had asked Him for more wisdom, courage, or strength. God’s will is for His Kingdom to be on earth as it is in Heaven (Matthew 6:7-10). When we align our prayers with His will, He will answer. Nothing can stop God’s will, so why not ask for it to be done?
Don’t complain about the state of the world; pray for it to change. Instead of lamenting over the ineptitude of our political leaders, pray for their salvation and God-given wisdom in their decision-making. Hate the evil and sin in the world, but pray God will hold back His wrath a little longer so that those who participate in such things might yet come to know Him. Big prayers focus on big issues. Small prayers focus on ourselves. Let’s not get stuck only praying for our selfish desires. Pray bigger than what you think can be done. There is no limit to the spiritual resources available to you, and nothing that our King Jesus cannot do. So, when you pray, pray big!