Have you quietly reduced your prayers to what seems humanly reasonable?

I’ve been asking myself that question lately.

The launch of my new book has brought unexpected challenges. At the same time, I’ve been dealing with some painful back problems. I’ve prayed, trusted God, worked hard, and watched some of those problems persist.

One morning I found myself praying, “Lord, I just need a miracle.”

In February 2018, I was reading Matthew 21:21–22, where Jesus says that if we have faith and do not doubt, we can tell a mountain to throw itself into the sea.

My immediate reaction was, “That’s not true!”

Then I realized I had a problem. I had allowed my disappointments and unanswered prayers to shrink my understanding of what God could do.

I asked God to rehabilitate my theology of prayer.

He reminded me of 1 John 5:14–15, which teaches that we can confidently approach God, knowing He hears whatever we ask according to His will. That’s the balance. We can ask God for anything, while trusting Him to decide what is best. And Ephesians 3:20 reminds us that God is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine.

There is nothing for which you cannot pray because there is nothing God cannot do.

Which leads to this week’s BIG IDEA:

Don’t put limits on God that He doesn’t put on Himself.

Jesus even encouraged us to approach God with “shameless audacity” (Luke 11:8), asking, seeking, and knocking.

So what miracle do you need today? A restored relationship? Healing? Financial provision? A breakthrough you’ve almost stopped believing is possible?

Don’t shrink God to the size of your faith. Let your faith grow toward the size of God.

And here’s another promise that’s an equally “Big Idea” to remember: God will give you anything you ask for in prayer if it’s in His will, but never less than as much as you need.

Always on your side,

Pat

For Reflection and Discussion

• Heart (Reflect): Where have you experienced God’s faithfulness in answering your prayers, even when the answer wasn’t what you expected?
• Head (Understand): God will give you anything you ask for in prayer if it’s in His will, but never less than as much as you need. Explain your answer.
• Hands (Apply): What have you stopped praying for because it seems humanly impossible? Will you bring it to God again this week?

Who would thank you for forwarding this to them?

Want to go deeper? Read Chapter 7 of A Reason to Get Out of Bed or watch the complete Man Alive Bible Study that inspired today’s Weekly Wisdom on YouTube. You can also listen to it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Amazon Music.