Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
Have you ever thought that your prayers may be a little too big for God to handle, or you'd be inconveniencing Him if you brought the thing that's at the front of your mind? I've been there before, and today's Scripture addresses how we should approach God with our prayers.
Your Prayers Are Not Too Big
Do you think your prayers are too big? Maybe you've heard these phrases before, something along the lines of, "If you ask me for that one more time, I'm not going to give it to you." Some of you might have flashed all the way back to middle school when you asked your mom for that bike over and over again, and she said those words to you.
You might have even thought in your adult life, if you've been going through something: If I say this again to this person, they're going to be so annoyed. I'd rather not.
How often do we bring those phrases into our prayer life? I think sometimes the way that we hear people affects how we approach God. I want to show you what that could look like.
Looking at Prayers Through Humanity
For some of us, we take our prayers and we look at them through what humanity would say. I'm going to put a pair of sunglasses on. Aside from looking absolutely stylish, I'm going to use this as an example for what it feels like on our side of a prayer. We pray and we say, Lord, I know this might inconvenience You because I've talked about it before, but...
Or maybe, God won't listen to this prayer because I've asked too many times. We look at God through the things that we've learned from people. It's so easy to do that. But when we do this, it actually limits the way we see God.
Sunglasses Block Out the Light
Just like sunglasses block out the light, if we allow what people think to tell us how we pray, it'll actually hinder us from stepping into the fullness of what God actually says we can do.
Later on in Scripture, in 1 Peter, it talks about how we can cast all of our cares onto God because He cares for us. Instead of looking at God through the things we've learned from people, what if we looked at our prayers through what God actually says?
This Scripture points us to this: that we can bring all of our requests to God. Every problem, every question mark, every insecurity—He doesn't put a limit on it. Instead of putting limits in front of God, what if we put God's Word over our eyes so that we can see clearly and understand that He is not closing the door to your prayers?
No Problem Is Too Big
No problem is too big for Him. No insecurity is too small. Everything belongs. When you come to Jesus, no matter what you're facing—challenge yourself. Let's actually make this very practical.
I would challenge you and encourage you today to pray for something that seems too big for God. Also, on the flip side, maybe you don't have a problem with praying for big things. Maybe start asking Him for something that seems to be insignificant—something you think God would pass over because He's got bigger things to deal with.
What if you were to challenge your faith and how you approach the Lord today? What would that do to your prayer life?
More Than Just Asking Questions
One more point: I think we need to stop just coming to Jesus when we have questions or we're asking Him for things. This Scripture says, "I took my troubles to the Lord." It doesn't necessarily mean we stop asking questions, but what if we were to just talk to Him about the stuff that's bothering us?
What would normal day-to-day conversation with Jesus look like if it was more than questions? I know I get into question-asking. I ask for blessings. I ask for breakthroughs. I ask for all of the things because I know God can do it. There's nothing wrong with that. But what would bringing the things that bother you to the Lord sound like for you? Would it sound like normal conversation with a friend?
Three Challenges
I want to challenge and encourage you today to try these things.
First, pray for something bigger than you think is possible. Two, pray for the thing that seems insignificant, things that seem like something God might look over because He has a lot more on His plate.
And then: just talk to Him. Bring your requests to God and trust that He hears you. Talk to Him like you would your best friend. He's not going to turn you away. I promise.
