Step into the Arena
Mark Batterson writes, “Show me the size of your dream, and I’ll show you the size of your God.” If your “big” dream is something you can do or something you can afford or something that with extra effort on your part, you can accomplish… well, it just isn’t a big dream. Our God is honored by our big dreams because it is a demonstration that we need Him. What is your big dream? Are you ready to let a God who is bigger than big handle it for you? Go to in prayer. Depend on Him to answer.
Drawing a Circle
Colossians 4:2 says, “devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful, and thankful.” When we pray, we are unable to see and know all God does, but He wants us to be mindful of opportunities He gives us with an attitude of thankfulness. We are to diligently work toward making those ventures a reality, praying like it depends on God, and working like it depends on us. There is no ceiling on what God can accomplish. Luke 17:6 says, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.”
Dream Big
For many of us, we dream small or do not dream at all when it comes to our prayer life. We put God in a box and we do not fully comprehend how big our God is or that His power is without limits. This week, Stuart is going so share about dreaming big when it comes to our prayer life. In the Circle Makers book, Mark Batterson says this: “The size of prayers depends on the size of our God. And if God knows no limits, then neither should our prayers. God exists outside of the four space-time dimensions He created. We should pray that way!”
Pray Hard
Play hard, study hard, work hard… we’ve all heard these admonitions most of our lives and they are good guidelines to live by. But pray hard? We’ve not heard that one so much. However, we will reap benefits beyond our wildest imaginations if we will learn to do just that! “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” (Ephesians 6:18a) Pray hard, pray in the spirit, pray without ceasing, pray continually, pray knowing God will do great things, just PRAY!
Think Long
In a world of instant gratification, waiting can be difficult. Waiting for your first driver’s license, the end of your medical treatment, your company’s business plan to succeed, class to be over–it’s not in our nature to enjoy waiting. Waiting for something that may be far into the future is not only difficult, it may not seem feasible from our current perspective. Seeking a vision for what God wants, devising a plan for it and releasing it to Him for His timing is even more difficult but it is possible. Psalm 27:14 (NLT) tells us “Be brave and courageous… wait patiently for the Lord.
Ripple Effect
We may not think about it, but there is little doubt that prayers of our parents, grandparents and others from past generations are having an impact on our lives. Since those prayers make a difference in our lives, they make a difference in the lives to come in future generations. Now is a good time to think back about those who prayed for us. Also, it’s a good time to think forward with faith and anticipation about the prayers we are praying for others. They have a ripple effect that will extend far beyond our lives. Keep praying!