Dangerous Prayers

Some prayers are simply more dangerous than others.  Often times, our prayers will be answered by things we don't want to have happen.  Sometimes God causes those things to happen, other times He allows things to happen that put us through the purifying fire in answer to our prayers.

One of the more popular examples are when you pray for patience.  The old joke is true, pray for patience and you're inviting all sorts of situations and people into your life that are likely to make you want to lose your patience.

The particular prayer I'm referring to is a personal one I prayed last fall and just prayed again tonight.  Last fall I prayed for more faith.  Shortly thereafter the apartment above ours had a fire and we were forced to move around for a while before God blessed us with a permanent house.  Before that we had a miscarriage.  

I don't believe either of those things were sent by God but I do know beyond the shadow of a doubt that He used those situations to grow my faith.  God is a God of love and of life.  He is for us, and as such He uses all things for our good.

While it surprised me a bit today to repeat that prayer from last year, I did it.  I prayed it because I know that's what He desires for me.  He wants me to have greater faith.  He wants me to have faith as small as a mustard seed so I can move mountains for His glory.

Dangerous prayers are when you let go of the outcome and recognize that you are powerless to achieve the desired results on your own.  You might as well let go of the outcome because you don't have any control in the first place.  That's one thing we as a culture have learned from this whole Covid 19 thing, right?  

Dangerous prayers are when you pray God's will, no matter if that matches what you want or not.  Sometimes we mistake our own will for His and so it's always a good idea to add, "if it is the Lord's will" to the end of any prayer.  It shows a certain humility to acknowledge that even when we think we're following God it may simply be not what He wants for us or at least not in that moment or phase in our lives.

"Lord, answer our dangerous prayers in whatever way You see fit.  And if our prayers aren't dangerous, teach us to pray dangerous prayers.  Teach us to pray for Your Kingdom come, even when it doesn't look like what we might think."