Prayer Comes in All Sizes

I used to try to pray BIG.  By that I mean I didn’t want to bother God with too many of my small personal requests. I knew I should pray for things such as forgiveness, faith, spiritual growth, and wisdom; for the sick, for the hungry, the missionaries, world peace.  But somehow I had the impression that praying for my own earthly dreams and desires was selfish prayer. In fact, I remember hearing someone say that those who pray such self-centered prayers have a shallow view of God as some kind of divine genie to grant their every wish. And that for me to ask Him to intervene in my life for my own selfish purposes is to attempt to manipulate Him.  

I didn’t want to do that, and it didn’t sound like it would do much good anyway. So I tried to pray big prayers. But I didn’t get to know God very well that way. I didn’t really get to know Him until I started praying small.

I’m thankful for the people in my life who have helped me to have a better understanding of prayer and a closer relationship with the Father. From their example and from studies of the Word about prayer, I decided that I can and should pray about everything.

Philippians 4:6 is a scripture I think of often,

“Do not be anxious about anything, but by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Does God care about our small needs and requests? Of course he does; He’s our Father.
Is it Ok to pray for God to help you find your car keys when you’ve looked everywhere and you’re late for something really important? Or to pray that the washing machine won’t break down today because you had to buy a new oven just last month; or to pray for your child to have a good day at school today or to do well on an important test?  I think it is.

Whenever I pray for small things, whenever I express to God my daily anxieties and inabilities, I feel much closer to Him.  He becomes part of my daily life. And the more I ask of Him, the more he answers.  The more I talk to Him, the more I want to know Him.  And my faith grows, and I become more bold and confident to pray about the bigger things.  And as my intimacy with God grows, I find it easier to know if I am praying in humility and in His will.

C.H. Spurgeon preached 130 sermons on Prayer.  In one of them he says,

“A little thing may often touch the heart more than a great

thing. Now, how often have we, if we have acted rightly, taken little things

before the Lord. I believe it is the Christian’s privilege to take all his

sorrows to his God, be they little or be they great. I have often prayed to

God about a matter at which you would laugh if I should mention it. In

looking back I can only say it was a little thing, but it seemed great at the

time. It was like a little thorn in the finger, it caused much pain, and might

have brought forth, at last, a great wound. I learned to lay my little troubles

at the feet of Jesus. Why should we not? Are not our great ones little? and

is there, after all, much difference between great troubles and little ones in

the sight of God? My gratitude compels me to say, “I love the Lord, because he has heard those little prayers, and answered my little supplications, and made me blessed, even in little things which, after all, make up the life of man.”

http://www.prayermeetings.org/C_H_Spurgeon_Sermons_on_Prayer.html

Father, help me to grow into a more intimate relationship with You so that I may be anxious for nothing, bringing before you the Small things as well as the Big ones. Show me the things in my life that might hinder my prayers.Thank you for Christ who intercedes for me  now and every time I come before you. Amen

Lynn Anne Hughes

Stephenville, Texas