Is your view of God’s love big enough that you believe he actually cares about the small things in your life? Our prayer lives are usually the most accurate answer to that question. When we only pray for “big” things, we show that the answer to that question is “no.” When we pray “small” things, the answer is “yes.”
As I’ve helped people grow their view of God’s love for them, helping them to see that God cares for and is available to help them in every aspect of their lives, I’ve noticed that people still struggle to ask God for help them with small, specific things. Usually, offering a few specific examples helps them get started. That’s why I’d like to offer a few examples I’ve prayed or others have prayed over the years.
God answers a prayer for someone to sit by at a crowded event – This guy and his kids were headed to a crowded basketball game. Seating is always an issue. The guy thought it’d be fun if there was someone that he or his kids knew at the game that they could sit with. He also wasn’t looking forward to trying to find the “right seat” in a crowded room. So he asked God, as they were walking towards the gym, to provide a seat that’s easy to get to and for someone that they’d know to sit with. When they walked into the gym, sure enough, there was someone they knew who had a seat for them! These friends had never been to this event in the past. Was this a huge concern? No. But the guy understood that God cares and loves him enough to work even in the small things.
God answers a prayer for encouragement by the end of the day – This guy had an alright day. But he noticed that he was just a bit discouraged. He wasn’t totally sure why. So he prayed that God would encourage him in some unusual way by the end of the day. Later that night, he received an encouraging text message from a friend that he hadn’t heard from in a while. While that would have been great to receive even if the prayer wasn’t offered, the specific prayer request added to the encouragement and joy he felt in that moment.
God answers a prayer for an assignment to be found – The young girl couldn’t find her assignemnt. We’ve all been there. She looked and looked but couldn’t find it. So she stopped and prayed that God would help her find it before she had to leave in 30 minutes. Then she continued to look. And sure enough, she found! She told her parents, who didn’t know that she couldn’t find the assingment or that she prayed that prayer, what happened. How awesome is it for a kid to grow up praying her problems with specificity. She genuinely grew her awareness of and confidence in God’s powerful, loving presence that night.
God cares about the “big” and “small” things in our lives. Let’s pray in a way that shows we believe that.
What “small” things can you pray for today?
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