1 Timothy 2:1 “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone.”
God is interested in every aspect of our lives, both the seemingly trivial and the undeniably important. Nothing is too small for him. He wants us to ask, he’s waiting to hear, and he’s longing to reply. Andrew Murray said of prayer: “God’s giving is inseparably connected with our asking. Only by intercession can that power be brought from heaven which will enable the Church to conquer the world.” George Mueller, who fed several thousand orphans simply in answer to prayer, said that he never came to requests or petitions in prayer until he had “an active and living realisation of the presence of God”. Hudson Taylor, after so many painful breakthroughs in China, wrote: “The prayer power has never been tried to its full capacity. If we want to see mighty works of Divine power and grace wrought in the place of weakness, failure and disappointment, let us answer God’s standing challenge, ‘Call to me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’”
Maybe I should decide to call out more loudly, boldly and persistently, so that God will show me ‘great and mighty things’ of which I do not know. Maybe I’ll pray bigger prayers, as I’m naturally inclined to pray little ones. Maybe I’ll pray more risky prayers, as I’m all too good at offering up qualified petitions couched in religious verbiage to lessen my disappointment if my will isn’t done. Maybe I’ll pray more specific prayers, as I’m an expert at vague ones which are hard to see whether they’ve been answered or not. Maybe I’ll pray more uncomfortable and dangerous prayers, in case I’ve set the bar at a safe height and am missing out on more lofty exploits for God’s glory.
Father, increase my capacity to pray today. Take me deeper. Use me however you like, for your glory Amen!
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