Pray Big Prayers

Pray Big Prayers

Anything is possible if a person believes. Mark 9:23

GOD WANTS US TO DREAM BIG DREAMS and pray big prayers. But he doesn’t want us to cultivate those dreams and prayers independently. He doesn’t give us wonderful promises about faith for us to go our own way, praying our whims and satisfying our self-centered agendas. All of his promises come in the context of accomplishing his purposes in our lives, on this planet, for the growth of his Kingdom, and ultimately for his glory. But while some people may interpret that context narrowly—as only spiritual, for ministry, never for ourselves——we come to realize there’s a middle ground. God’s Kingdom is broadly defined, reaching into every corner of our lives. He does want to give good gifts and pour out his blessings, especially on those who can be trusted with them because they have set their hearts on him above all.

So we pray boldly, realizing that God wants us to learn the power of faith—or more precisely, his power through our faith—to accomplish great things. We were designed with that longing, and no one has ever been able to uproot it from the human psyche. Our longing for the transcendent remains because we were made in the image of God and are now being fully restored in it. There’s no reason to shy away from it. God has always had big plans and grand visions, and we are being drawn into them. He is zealous about thorough redemption and restoration, and our ambitious faith simply aligns with his desires. In dying with Christ, we have stepped into a supernatural life of resurrection and power. The realm that was once beyond us now opens in front of us. And we are called to keep pressing in.

Don’t be afraid of audacious faith. Let it fill you, possess you, and overwhelm you. Dream big dreams, open your eyes to God-sized visions, and pray fearlessly. Acknowledge your own limitations, then ask to enter into God’s limitless reach. Join the adventure with him. Embrace the power and glory of the Resurrection in every area of your life, and pray it into other lives too.

I do not want merely to possess faith; I want a faith that possesses me.