JUN 10-14 | Your Will Be Done

We serve a God who can do more than we can ask or imagine. So it’s time to stop playing it safe. We weren’t created for a life of comfort. We are passionate and powerful, charged with changing the world in radical ways! I believe this plan will encourage you to break through the boundaries and will inspire you to pray dangerously and to live boldly.

As I studied the Bible more, I marveled at the variety of prayers spoken by God’s people. Not only did they pray about things that were incredibly personal—to conceive a child, for instance (1 Sam. 1:27)—but also their prayers were often so practical, for food and provision (Matt. 6:11) and escape from their enemies (Ps. 59:1–2). Sometimes they seemed to gently whisper to a loving God. Other times they yelled at him in agony and frustration.

Their prayers were honest. Desperate. Fiery. Gutsy. Real. And there I was praying that God would keep me safe and bless my burger and fries.

Maybe you can relate. It’s not that you don’t believe in prayer. You do. But you’re stuck in a rut. You pray about the same struggles and the same requests. In the same way. At the same time. If you even try to pray at all. You probably know you should pray more. And with more passion. More faith. You want to talk to God and to listen to him, to share an intimate conversation like you would with your spouse or best friend. You really want to but aren’t sure how. So your prayers remain safe.

Flat. Dull. Predictable. Stale. Boring.

Are you ready for more? Are you sick of playing it safe? Are you ready to pray daring, faith-filled, God-honoring, life-changing, world-transforming prayers?

If you are, then this month of teachings is for you.

But be warned. There will be bumps. When you start to pray things like “search me, break me, send me,” you may experience valleys. Attacks. Trials. Pain. Hardship. Discouragement. Even heartbreak. But there will also be the joy of faith, the marvel of miracles, the relief of surrender, and the pleasure of pleasing God.

It’s time to stop praying safe.

It’s time to start talking, really talking—and really listening—to God.

It’s time for dangerous prayers.

Your Will Be Done 

Instead of long, loud, and fancy, the prayers that move God are simple, authentic, and heartfelt. But simple is not the same as safe. And that’s the reason I’m compelled to write this. The biggest mistake I made in my prayer life, the reason my prayers were so lame, is because I prayed too safely. I was in a comfort zone with God. I wasn’t on fire and I wasn’t cold. My prayers were tepid. But safe, lukewarm prayers don’t draw us closer to God or help us reveal his love to this world.

Prayers are inherently dangerous. This idea about prayer dawned on me while reading about Jesus talking to his Father in the garden of Gethsemane, just a short time before he gave his life on the cross. Knowing what was ahead, Jesus asked God if there was any other way. Then Jesus, not just a regular disciple or a person in the Bible, but J-E-S-U-S, the Son of God, prayed a vulnerable and dangerous prayer of submission: “Yet I want your will to be done, not mine” (Luke 22:42).

Jesus never asks us to do something he wouldn’t do himself. He calls us to a life of faith, not a life of comfort. Instead of coming to him for a safer, easier, stress-free lifestyle, the Son of God challenges us to risk loving others more than ourselves. Instead of indulging our daily desires, he calls us to deny them for something eternal. Instead of living by what we want, he tells us to pick up our crosses daily and follow his example.

I worry that for a lot of people, prayer is like buying a lottery ticket, a chance at a life here on earth that’s problem-free, stress-free, pain-free. For others, prayer is merely a sentimental routine, like reciting favorite song lyrics or a beloved nursery rhyme from childhood. Yet others pray only because they feel even guiltier if they don’t. 

But none of these prayers reflect the life Jesus came to give us. 

Instead, he called us to leave everything to follow him.

Jesus didn’t just challenge others to leave their own wills behind. He too lived a dangerous faith. He touched lepers. Showed grace to prostitutes. And stood bravely in the face of danger. Then he told us we could do what he did—and more.

And that’s why we can’t settle for simply asking God to bless our food or “be with us today.”

We’re told in the Bible that we can “come boldly to the throne of our gracious God” (Heb. 4:16a NLT). We don’t have to approach timidly or feel awkward—we can come before him with confidence, assurance, and boldness. When we pray this way, then “we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most” (Heb. 4:16b NLT).

Your prayers matter.

How you pray matters.

What you pray matters.

Your. Prayers. Move. God.