Dangerous Prayers: Because Following Jesus Was Never Meant to Be Safe

by Craig Groeschel

But praying long, focused, eloquent, and powerful prayers to the God-I-couldn’t-see had always been challenging for me.

When I’d pray, “Lord, show us traveling mercies and keep us safe,” I could imagine him saying, “What are you worried about? Just drive the speed limit and wear your seatbelt. You’ll be fine.”

when I prayed, “God, bless our food,” I just knew he was probably thinking, “Really? You want me to bless boxed macaroni and cheese and some potato chips?”

Sometimes they seemed to gently whisper to a loving God. Other times they yelled at him in agony and frustration.

Then later they’d cry out from the depths of their anguish and rail at God like a

They prayed for boldness to share their faith. They prayed for walls, both internally and externally, to fall. Daniel prayed for the mouths of hungry lions to be shut, and Jonah prayed for the belly of a hungry whale to be opened. Gideon prayed for his fleece to be wet one day and dry another. God’s people prayed whether they were giddy...

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.

For too long, I had tolerated lackluster, faithless, and mostly empty prayers. I knew God wanted more for me, and I wanted to know him more intimately, despite my hesitation about what it would require of me.

For years, I’d felt deep shame about my half-hearted prayer life—me, a pastor.

I’m supposed be a prayer warrior—full of fierce, unrelenting faith and unbridled, Spirit-led power.

In the middle of a prayer, whether praying silently or aloud, my mind would bounce from one thing to the next. Dear God in heaven, I pray that you heal my friend who has cancer. Work in her life now in the name of . . . I really need to go to the hospital to see her again. Oh wait, I haven’t changed the oil in the car. And we’re out of cereal. The kids are gonna kill me. And Amy has a doctor’s appointment today—did we pay that last insurance bill? I can’t believe how much it’s going up this year! Oh, yeah, this week’s sermon—still need to find a strong illustration . . . Oh, I’m sorry, Lord, what were we talking about?

In the middle of a prayer, whether praying silently or aloud, my mind would bounce from one thing to the next. Dear God in heaven, I pray that you heal my friend who has cancer. Work in her life now in the name of . . . I really need to go to the hospital to see her again. Oh wait, I haven’t changed the oil in the car. And we’re out of cereal. The kids are gonna kill me. And Amy has a doctor’s appointment today—did we pay that last insurance bill? I can’t believe how much it’s going up this year! Oh, yeah, this week’s sermon—still need to find a strong illustration . . . Oh, I’m sorry, Lord, what were we talking about? happens to me too

dreaded prayer meetings. (Talk about feeling guilty.) They seem to last forever with people who not only know how to pray but also love to pray. Not to mention that whenever you have to hold hands with others in a prayer time, it seems to get weird really quick.

Too often, praying just didn’t make any sense. It seemed like God would often respond quickly to my meaningless requests, like the time I almost jokingly asked God to heal our broken air-conditioning unit, and he did. Then I’d fast for days and pray my guts out for months that God would heal a friend from a disease, and he didn’t. Sometimes I believed in the power of prayer, and other times I wondered whether it was all a big waste of time.

For one thing, God hates showy prayers, so there’s no pressure, no right way other than being open and honest with him.

Jesus repeatedly railed against the Pharisees for praying long, loud, and fancy prayers that lacked authenticity.

God hates showy prayers, so there’s no pressure, no right way other than being open and honest with him.

Instead of long, loud, and fancy, the prayers that move God are simple, authentic, and heartfelt. But simple is not the same as safe.

But safe, lukewarm prayers don’t draw us closer to God or help us reveal his love to this world.

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.

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. true

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.

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.”

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Praying from the heart is personal and unmistakable.

Praying from the heart is personal

There’s certainly nothing wrong with reading a prayer or using someone else’s words to pray. In fact, reading prayers can be a good starting point in learning to pray your own. Over time, though, if you want to know God intimately, you will begin to pray more unscripted prayers that come straight from your heart.

As your faith grows, your prayers will likely well up deep inside you. You may not even know how to express them in words.

They’re simply communication between you and your Father, the living God Almighty. Deeply personal and just...

I’m afraid many of us aren’t comfortable praying openly and freely.

We assume there’s a right way or a better way or a more eloquent way.

We tend to stumble into ruts and pray for the same things over and over. We get...

And

if we get bored praying, then I wonder if we’re...

When you pray, the God of the universe listens.

And not only does he listen, but he also cares.

He wants to communicate with you the same way you sit across from a loved one and enjoy an intimate conversation.

Instead of a safe, all-about-me prayer, you might pray for others first, hurting for them, hoping for them, reaching out to God on their behalf.

Instead of just asking for protection and safety, you might ask what God wants you to do and where he wants you to go.

Rather than always asking him for more, you might praise him for all the blessings he’s already poured into your life. Recognizing all these blessings, you ...

Instead of just checking a box, your prayers might actually change eternity, shaking hell, scaring demons, and ...

If you call out to him, God assures you that he hears the c...

Your prayers become dangerous. But following Jesus was never supposed to be safe.

what Saul saw as his biggest threat. And he knew how to hit where it hurts—he claimed David wasn’t faithful to his God. With all his heart, David wanted to please God. He fought against his anger in order to protect and show honor to the king.

At its core, our heart is all about self—not Christ.

It’s about what’s temporary—not eternal. It’s about what’s easy—not what’s right. It’s obsessed with what we want—not what God wants.

Heart

Our original nature at birth is sinful.

(You never have to teach a two-year-old to be selfish, right?) Our ways are not God’s ways. That’s why we need Christ. Not just to forgive us, but to transform us. To redirect us. To make us new.

If you still believe you’re inherently good, then let me ask you, how often do you lie? If you answer “not that often,” then you’re probably lying right there. If you answer “never,” then I know you’re lying.

Research studies reveal that most people tell multiple lies every day. We don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings. Or we want to make ourselves look good so we exaggerate. But the most common lies are the ones we tell ourselves.

THIS COUNTS AS A LIE TOO