ASKING GOD FOR SOMETHING BIG
Christine Wyrtzen
You are the God who works wonders; you have made known your might among the peoples. Psalm 77:14
Some of God’s children live and die and never ask Him for anything big. They live in the ‘safe’ zone. Others do nothing but ask for the miraculous but it would serve them well to make sure they’re asking for the right reason, the ultimate glory of God. Having walked with God for a lifetime, I know that He loves to perform wonders but He waits until I ask. But here’s a warning. When what I need the most intersects my prayer life, logic can nullify my faith if I allow it.
I think of Sarah. Her cycle of womanhood was long over. Logic. Science. These proved that it was humanly impossible to bear a child in old age. She and Abram had spent the breadth of their marriage asking God to open her womb but at some point, she stopped believing. When the announcement was made that she would have a son, Sarah laughed at the thought of such a physical impossibility.
Miracles aren’t miracles without the ‘impossibility’ factor. Is this not why faith is so difficult? We are surrounded by circumstantial physical evidence that disproves feasibility. If I have a history of not having seen God’s power move on my behalf, then I will always lean toward logic and move away from what seems ludicrous. History controls belief.
What might I ask God for today if all reserve was moved out of the way? Where would others laugh in my face and rehearse the evidence against faith-filled prayer.
That points precisely, perhaps, to what God would, and can, do. “But you can’t ask God for that!” Satan whispers. His taunts, like arrows, come at me in thoughts but also through the mouths of friends and family. He is not above using faithless believers to parrot faithless words. So few walk by faith and I should remember that the next time a brother or sister in Christ comes with their ‘prudent’ warnings.
God has placed me in many impossible situations throughout my life. There were times I had to pray for a miracle or there would be some horrible consequence. For survival’s sake, I hung onto faith, stood in the Word, and prayed for a miracle. I’d like to say that faith is becoming my default response but I know myself better than that. Faith is hardest when I’ve invested years of prayer into my request.
God defies the odds. He cares nothing about physics, past evidence, and present obstacles. He who spoke to the earth, a planet that was once dark and lifeless, and transformed it into a stunning environment full of limitless possibilities, is the same God who can do anything miraculous in my world. There is something more critical to pray for than the request itself ~ that my faith would remain if God says no – or wait.
Lord, show me where I can exercise faith today. For what should I trust You that defies all odds? I’ll go there. In Jesus name, Amen
Originally published Friday, 23 February 2018.
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