I want to ask you all a question…
If God were to answer all of your prayers tonight, what would look different tomorrow? Would anything look different?
I’ve noticed recently that we tend to pray very timid and small prayers.
“God, give us safe travels, be with the doctors in my friends surgery, please bless the hands that prepare this food, give me peace about this situation…”
I’m not saying that those prayers aren’t valid, because they ARE. Lord knows we need safe travels. But those are the kind of prayers that you grow up hearing, the ones where you pray for them and they are answered but you kind of wonder if they would have happened anyways even if you didn’t pray them?
So that’s why I ask you, if all your prayers were to be answered tonight, would anything really look different? Would you be able to tell that it was an answered prayer?
The next question I want to ask you is do you believe God is an all powerful God? Do you REALLY TRULY believe that God can do anything, conquer any evil, bring even the worst atheist to Christ, cure any disease, heal any broken relationship, fundraise any amount of money? Cause honestly, I know that He can do it, but sometimes my prayers don’t show that. I’ll be the first to preach the gospel on the street and say “do you know about my God? Do you know how powerful and almighty He is?!” And then later praying “Lord I pray you give me a good day.” Like what?
God is fully capable to do all those things, right?
It makes me sad to think that so many prayers go unanswered just because they weren’t said. I really believe that there are legions of angels waiting on the edge of their seat in heaven just WAITING for an assignment but we don’t pray big prayers so they don’t get to do anything.
Matthew 7:7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
Luke 11:11-13 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for[a] a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Sometimes we ask…
“Why this pain? Why this sickness? Why this “whatever it is”?
I want to challenge us to have this perspective: Okay God, due to evil and brokenness of this world, I find myself in this situation, but I know YOU are a God of healing, comfort, miracles, and wonders and I know YOU can get me out of it.
I think a lot of the time God waits for us to ask. I picture Him holding GIANT piles of presents in Heaven just waiting for us to ask Him for them so He can drop them our way.
He wants to heal that person, He wants to bring that person out of a depression, He wants to provide a baby for that couple who has been struggling with infertility… don’t you think God wants to bring goodness and joy to each of those lives?
It is not because of Him that they are in those situations. God does not give cancer, depression, infertility, anxiety, addictions, or any sort of evil to His children- that is straight from the devourer. I’ve heard it said before “God gave her cancer so she could really trust in Him.” LIES. Those things come straight from the pit of hell. It is because in the garden of eden, sin entered the world and it created brokenness that we experience those things today. God does not give cancer, but He sure can make good out of it!
God wants to give us GOOD things!
God delights in giving us what we ask for. He is not some stingy, greedy, mean Father who keeps all the goods for Himself. He is Comforter, Healer, Prince of Peace, Loving Father, Merciful Redeemer, Mighty Warrior, Wonderful Counselor, Alpha and Omega, He has all the things you need! And He is going to take care of you!
Matthew 10:29-31 “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.[a] 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”
Matthew 6:25-30 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?“
And He doesn’t want you to suffer for Him!
He is not a mean dictator, asking you to give up all your comforts and things you love to serve Him. Noooooo. That’s a slavery faith. God desires to give good gifts to His children.
I know He is probably really proud of all of us (this was a seminar I taught to World Racers) for giving up our comfort, our material things, and a whole year of our lives at home to come do the race- there is that level of “suffering” but it’s more an act of surrender. God I am willing to give up these things for you and He called us to do that.
There’s another level, though, where I think people miss God’s character as a loving father where they give up something that really God was trying to give them as a gift. For example, I heard a story of someone who came back from a missions trip and took cold showers and slept on the floor because they came from a place in the world where that is how they lived. She wouldn’t allow herself to enjoy the good gifts of a comfortable bed and warm water that God provided for her.
Even for me recently I had a moment this week where I looked at my love for movies and said “I need to give these up I love them too much.” But really God knows I love them and wants to give those to me. And I wasn’t using them as an idol or putting them before God so I have continued to watch them and pretend I’m watching with Jesus.
It’s the second that those things step above God, that you need to give them up. Like my hair. I found I kept too much of my identity and ego in my hair and God asked me if I would give it up for Him- it was something that kept me from Him so in that sense, I gave it up.
It’s about living in surrender.
Have you ever seen that picture of a child holding a small teddy bear and Jesus with big teddy bear behind His back and He’s asking her to give it up? That’s what surrender is- giving something up that you treasure and not knowing what the Lord has in store, but holy crap, can we just talk about the GOODNESS that comes from actually giving it up! You get a bigger teddy bear!
– I gave up my hair but received freedom and humility and full identity in Him.
– You gave up so many things for the race and look what you’re experiencing with Jesus!
– The disciples gave up everything and they got a front row seat to Jesus’ miracles!
– On the other hand, the rich young ruler couldn’t give up His teddy bear and didn’t get ANY of that!
I know for D squad we gave up seeing our loved ones and God gifted us with some time in a layover recently in Chicago. Yes, I let them go and gave up seeing them for an entire year, but God allowed an opportunity for me to connect with them in person for a little while. What a gift!
This doesn’t mean that you can ask God for a billion dollars and He’s going to drop it from the sky. No. He’s not a vending machine, He’s a Father. It’s not about what we want from our lives, but things that align with His will. A father is not going to give a 3 year old child a knife because she wants it, you know? He’s going to give us things for our own good.
But sometimes God doesn’t show up.
Sometimes God does not answer your prayers. That’s a tough place to be, don’t I know it.
I remember a year ago I was in a nasty depression and wishing for the end of my life and my mom revealed to me that they contacted dozens of people to be covering me in prayer for healing. I remember laughing in her face because I was so far deep and felt so far gone that any amount of prayer couldn’t get me out.
But they didn’t stop praying. They prayed through. And a few months later I was at Training Camp getting baptized and committing my life to the Lord. They didn’t give up and that’s something I want to challenge us with today. When God doesn’t answer your prayer, I hope you don’t stop!
Recently I was praying for something big for a loved one and boy did I pray hard! But the prayer request was not answered. Again and again and again. But I don’t want to stop there and go “oh well!”
God’s probably up there going, NOOO JJ keeping praying! I have something good coming. I have a testimony in mind of my goodness and glory. OKAY GOD, I pray not only for you to answer this prayer but you give them a double portion! I’m praying big and I’m not going to stop.
When God doesn’t answer your prayers, I want you to keep praying. Invite people into it, get on your knees, do a food fast or a sleep fast, lie face down on the floor and wail out to the Lord your big prayer.
God is honored by our big prayers. It’s a form of worship to Him. He wants us to pray the kind of prayers that can only be accomplished by His almighty, omnipotent power. The kind of stuff that when it happens, you cannot equate it to anything else, but the powerful name of Jesus Christ.
God I pray that when she goes back into the doctor and gets that scan that they find NO cancer. God, I pray that the death of my friend causes hundreds of people to come to know you. God, I pray that the couple that has been struggling with infertility for 6 years gets pregnant with twins, only by your doing. God, I pray that the President of the United States of America has an encounter with You that brings him to his knees in worship and prayer. God, I pray that the sex and pornography industry comes crashing down like the walls of Jericho and I can shout for triumph like the Israelites. And God, I pray that every single person that I come into contact with comes to know the sweet and beautiful name of Jesus Christ.
Pray BOLDLY, my friends.
Pray to God like you actually believe He is an all powerful and loving God. And keep praying- pray hard, pray long, pray through, and don’t stop. No wonder the Bible tells us to pray continuously! There are not enough hours in the day to pray all the things I want to pray!
Here’s another question: Have any of you started daydreaming in the middle of prayer and your mind wanders? I normally feel so guilty when that happens. Like “Oops sorry God! Let me get back on track… I pray you give me a good day.”
I want to challenge that. We view it as a mistake, that we are just human and our minds wander, but I want to challenge that view and propose that it’s actually from God. That you enter into a space with Him and He guides your mind to wander and dream with Him- guiding you to thinking about accomplishing big things with Him, the things He wants you to do! I think He does it on purpose! What if all those times that we apologize and end the daydreams and bring it back in that God was actually trying to get you to see the potential that you could do for Him?
You should not feel guilty for having dreams and going after them. God will use them!
God wants to see you meet your goals and accomplish your dreams! He’s a father! Can you imagine the pride that He has when He sees you lived out your dreams with the talents and the gifts and the passions that HE GAVE YOU?! Gosh, I can’t even imagine! I mean if we don’t fully use our gifts and talents for Him, we are stifling the Holy Spirit and the work that God can do in and through you!
Matthew 25 talks about the parable of the talents and one of the servants taking his talent and burying in the dirt cause he was afraid. The master calls him foolish! That’s what we do if we don’t take our gifts and talents and use them the way God intended them.
I want to take a look at the gospels for a second. 4 accounts of the life of Jesus.
The gospels, all with one purpose, all written differently. God allowed those specific humans perspective, words, and writing style to be used. He wants to do the same for us!
You may want to be a professional skateboarder, you may be a model, you may want to be the CEO of your own company, you may want to be the one to translate the Bible in a new language, you may want to start your own non-profit or children’s center or be the next Katie Davis to adopt 13 kids on the other side of the world.
Whatever your dream may be, God is going to use it to accomplish His goal in the kingdom, as long as it aligns with His heart and His will.
I personally want to write and direct my own movie that will inspire thousands and cause them to be brought closer to the Lord through watching it. That’s my own dream.
I would hate to see you let your life pass you by because you grew up around so many people who were timid in their prayers and scared to go after their dreams!
That’s not you!
God has big big BIG plans with you- He is going to take you places! You just have to be willing to step into dreaming and invite God into them. BUT reeeeeeaaaally it’s not possible for you to meet your dreams.
You know it’s not possible for you to do it. It’s not. How on EARTH is a 24 year old untrained, broke, unaccomplished, and crazy World Racer going to direct her own movie one day? Because I have God on my side. It’s going to happen and you’re all going to watch it and be like “Woah, I listened to her at a breakout session in India about allowing God to step into your dreams and there she is, winning the Oscar (lol jk but that would be nice).”
So I have one final question for you:
What are your dreams?
If money, time, energy, spouse, kids, age, location, WHATEVER, wasn’t a factor, what is your biggest dreams? What are your bold prayers that honor God because it is literally impossible for a human to accomplish on their own?
And don’t be shy, y’all. Think big, pray big, dream BIG.
– For the entire squad to be fully funded by the end of the week.
– For everyone in this town to encounter the Lord and be passionate follower of Christ!
– For that person I know with that disease to be completely healed TOMORROW!
– That one day, God you will take me farther and higher than I ever thought possible.
ALRIGHT BLOG READERS. IT’S TIME TO DREAM.
Take some time from your day and write them ALL down. Things you think about only in your daydreams, things that seem so distant and so hard, things you compare to a mountain, and things that only with God you can accomplish! Don’t let money, time, age, or ANYTHING hold you back. Write them down, take a full hour, all the time you need to think of everything. On my list there is everything from writing a book to starting a non-profit to teaching my children second and third languages. DREAM BIG.
Then pray over them, invite God into the process, and don’t. stop. praying. Honor the Lord with your big prayers. He wants to take you there! In His name!
Shoot I’m so excited to see God make your dreams come true! Only if you are able to do it all WITH Him.
Pray BOLD. Dream BIG. All the glory to God.`
All my love,
JJ
