Ask Largely

There are few things I enjoy preaching about and writing about more than prayer. Yet after all these years, I still feel there is so much about the topic I do not know. I wonder why sometimes prayers are answered very quickly and while there are other times the answers are delayed. It's sometimes difficult to know when and what to pray that are God's will. I still have a tendency to lose heart and faith when answers get delayed. I sure get plenty of practice at persevering in prayer.

Yet after more trials than I can recount, after setbacks, disappointments, shattered dreams and more than one broken heart I still believe God is able. Able to do anything.

For the second time in consecutive days I have been inspired by something E.M. Bounds wrote in his book, The Weapon of Prayer. Today, inspiration came in just two words. "Ask largely."

We can be guilty of praying for too little. Guilty of asking God to not do enough. Guilty of not believing God to do more. Mr. Bounds' words written nearly 100 years ago challenge me. Two simple words. Ask largely.

So I take up the challenge. I ask largely for my family. For each member. I prayed for Spring Creek and for friends. I prayed big. I asked largely.

19 months ago I prayed one of the most audacious prayers I had ever prayed. I asked God for three miracle vehicles. Like a woman carrying a child in her womb I carried that burden and desire. I was specific to pray for these vehicles without going one penny into debt. It took one solid year of praying before God answered the first one. He provided a Mazda 6 for our son Tucker. It was a miracle. We got the car with only 45,000 miles on it and received it as a gift from the Lord debt free. I prayed for another five months before the second miracle vehicle came. A 02 Lincoln Continental with 52,000 miles on it. A blessing gift from a church member at Heritage. It sits in my driveway today needing some work but God did it. again. He provided something that looked impossibility out of reach.  The third vehicle we are still believing God for. Any day now. Any day God will give birth to what I have carried in my spirit for these 19 months. You can tangibly see what God did in my driveway on any given night when Tucker is home from college. Soon you will be able to see the third answer to that prayer with the third vehicle for Brenda.

It is asking God largely. God loves to answer large [prayers because He gets large glory for it. He loves to give His children a platform to testify and brag on Him. I love doing it. I hope for the rest of my life to keep asking largely. I can't even write down all the other large prayers I am lifting up these days. Trust me. They are LARGE!! He is able. He also will be glorified in each of those answers. Brothers and sisters. Keep asking largely.

Ephesians 3:20 (ESV)
20  Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,