Wednesday, May 05, 2010

Your Prayers Are Too Small

A couple of days ago, I read a short quote (via Justin Taylor, pulled from Twitter) that I found convicting and challenging:

If Jesus answered all your prayers from the last 30 days, would anything change in THE World or just YOUR world?

I have to confess that although I and the people around me might be significantly changed, the impact would not really be felt outside my sphere of influence. I sometimes pride myself on praying eternally significant things--not just "bless and be with" my loved ones or "heal so-and-so's physical ailment," but praying for changed hearts and transformed lives in the midst of circumstances; praying Scripture.

Yet I see that my vision needs to be bigger because my God is bigger. As He was keen to show Israel, He is not a small, local, tribal God; He is the one true God over every nation. He is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, and He is calling people from EVERY tribe and language and nation and tongue to be saved by and know and worship Him. It's not just the people I know who He wants to transform into the likeness of Christ!

Enlarge my heart, Lord, and expand my vision. Cause me to love and care about, and thus to pray for, not only those with whom I have a relationship now, but my brothers and sisters around the world, and the poor and lost and suffering around the world as well as in my own backyard. Make me passionate to see Your kingdom come, Your will be done, to see You glorified--not merely in my own life or in my family or church, but in the whole world--to see Your name exalted, to see Jesus worshipped everywhere.

3 comments:

Zoanna said...

Amen! I would love to have the faith to see my neighbor not die right now as she lays there about ready to pass on to the next life .

Rebecca said...

Thank you! What a great reminder and challenge.

Unknown said...

A great challenge and encouragement...we do serve a big God.