Dangerous PrayersSýnishorn

Disturb Me

What we pray about is important. But not only is it important, it’s also revealing. 

The content of our prayers tells us more about us and our relationship with God than most people might imagine. What we pray for reflects what we believe about God. If most of our prayers are for “ourselves” or “what matters to us,” then the content of our prayers communicates that we believe, deep down, that God exists primarily for us.

So take a moment and do a prayer audit. Think about everything you prayed for recently—not your whole lifetime, just the past seven days. Consider writing on a notepad or typing a memo on your phone and listing all the different things you petitioned God to do in the last week. Take a moment and give it some thought. Do you remember? What did you pray about? What did you ask God to do? 

Now answer honestly. If God said yes to every prayer you prayed in the last seven days, how would the world be different? 

If your prayers were the normal, safe ones, then maybe you would have had a good day, arrived safely, or enjoyed a blessed double cheeseburger, fries, and Diet Coke.

For years, if I did a prayer audit, the results would have been dismal. If God had done everything over a week’s period that I had asked him to do, the world wouldn’t have been much different at all. Honestly, some weeks I wouldn’t have prayed for anything. Other weeks, I might have prayed, but the prayers were all about me, and that doesn’t change much in the grand scheme of things.

My prayers were too safe.

I had access to the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. The Great I am. The Alpha and the Omega. The Beginning and the End. The all-powerful, ever-present, all-knowing God who can send fire from heaven, shut the mouths of hungry lions, or calm a raging storm. And all I asked him to do was keep me safe and help me have a good day.

For years, I never wanted to be interrupted. But after praying more dangerous prayers, I discovered that God’s gentle promptings would regularly interrupt my self-centered plans and he would direct me toward his eternal will.

My faith is stronger.

My life is richer.

My heart is fuller.

Think about what could be different if you prayed with more transparency. If you risked more. If you were more open to what God might do in you instead of just hoping he will do something for you. What if you prayed bolder prayers? Dreamed bigger? Recklessly pursued Jesus with daring, self-abandoned faith?

It’s time to change the way you pray. It’s time to abandon safe, comfortable, predictable, and easy-to-pray prayers. It’s time to pray with courage, to risk, to open yourself up to a different path to a better destination. It’s time to start praying dangerous prayers. It’s time to be disturbed.

If you truly want to make a difference on earth, you need power from heaven. If you want your life to matter, it’s time to pray big, bold, audacious prayers. 

Seek God and dream big. Refuse to fear failure. It’s time to venture out. To trust. To dare. To believe. Your life won’t always feel safe. And it will take faith. But without faith, it’s impossible to please God.

What are you waiting for?

Learn more about Craig Groeschel’s new book, Dangerous Prayers.