Ephesians 3:20 – “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”
When it comes to prayer, I’m pretty good at asking for the usual things—protection for my family, healing for the sick, wisdom in making decisions. Those prayers come easily. But sometimes, when I don’t even know what to pray, I find myself saying, “God, be big and be glorified.”
It’s my way of saying, “I need You to show up. Take charge. Do something amazing that only You can do, and make sure everyone knows it was You.” I love those prayers because they strip away all the extras. They’re about surrender, about God doing what only God can.
What I am not so good at is asking for huge, creative things in prayer, requests so massive that I feel brazen for even bringing them to God. You know, the audacious “make me a best-selling author” kind of prayers. If someone needs healing, no hesitation; I’m asking. But when it comes to my own heart’s desires, I waver, worrying I’ll sound selfish or ungrateful. I might bring some of those requests before God timidly, like I’m bothering Him: “Please, sir, if it’s not too much trouble, and if You have a spare miracle lying around…”
But Philippians 4:6 tells us to bring all our requests to Him. Not just the practical ones. Not just the unselfish ones. Everything. We have God’s full permission to talk to Him boldly about every dream, every longing, every “what if.” God isn’t irritated by our asking. He invites it, and as a generous Father, He wants to give us good gifts.
Of course, not everything we want is good for us. I’ve tried convincing God for years that if He’d just give me a few million dollars, I’d live generously and humbly. He hasn’t taken me up on that offer, because He knows my heart better than I do. He knows what would draw me closer to Him and what would quietly pull me away.
What would happen in our hearts, in our community, the world even, if every believer laid audacious and daring requests at the feet of Jesus, believing Him for unimaginably bold outcomes? What would happen if we expected miracles when we make requests of our Father who is able to do infinitely greater things than we can dream up? When we pray, we should ask big and trust bigger.
Pray for the impossible, and then step back and say, “God, be big and be glorified.”