I personally like change. I like seeing things evolve, moving toward the perfect. I also realize that I will never attain perfection in this life, nor will I see every change that I would like to see actually take place. I am called to do what I can with what I have where I am. Thankfully, God does not allow my actions or my abilities to be the end of the story. He wants me to depend upon him to be the foundation for the change that brings about the best. He wants me to expect him to deliver with the stuff that he and I both know I cannot accomplish. I, we, need to dare to pray for the big stuff.
The idea of praying for miracles is basic to Christian life. We pray for healing that is beyond medical skills. We pray to be delivered from natural disasters (I pray a lot for hurricanes to stay out in the ocean!). We pray for the needs of family, friends, country, and world. Miracles are something we want. They represent the hand of God active in our world. They reassure us that God has not forgotten us. They remind us that it is not all in our hands. Miracles represent the big stuff.
When the widow went to the unrighteous judge (Luke 18:1ff), she knew she was demanding something she could not deliver for herself. She had to have help from a greater source. Jesus said that she received what she wanted because of her confidence that the judge had the power to give her what she wanted and because she had the persevering spirit that would never let him forget it. She went after the big stuff.
I look at my churches. I hear their dreams. I listen to their prayers. Rarely do I hear them praying for the big stuff, the kind of stuff that only God can do. Where that does come into play, it usually involves keeping some saint out of heaven or at least out of pain. That may be seen as as worthy prayer and in many cases something only God can do, but our prayers for the big stuff should never be limited to physical needs.
When do we pray for the matters of heavenly importance and concern? Jesus said that our Father already knows about our earthly needs. How much time do we spend praying for Kingdom righteousness? How much time do we spend praying for transformed lives and churches? How much time do we spend praying for things that have eternal significance? That's the big stuff.
Here are some prayer topics I'd like to hear in our prayer meetings. Boldness in sharing our Christian testimonies in the marketplace. New Testament moral guidelines for political decisions. Families committed to having Christ in the center of their homes. Walls of prejudice destroyed in our lives and communities. Courage to make the Golden Rule of Matthew 7:12 the personal rule for our lives. True grief over the lost condition of so many souls around us. The demand for power would be surrendered to the desire to serve. Material bounty would be seen as a blessing to help those with less. Secular jobs to be seen as missionary opportunities. Higher emphasis upon church members at work in the fields and less on sitting in the pews. And yes, the list could go on.
This is the big stuff, the transformation that only God can perform. You have to be courageous to pray for the big stuff. When God answers those kinds of prayers, he usually demands that we be part of the answer.
