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

by Craig Groeschel

Praying from the heart is personal and unmistakable.

“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” (Ps. 139:23–24).

Instead of simply asking God to do something for me, I asked him to reveal something in me.

what I feared the most revealed where I trusted God the least.

Faith doesn’t mean you don’t get afraid. Faith means you don’t let fear stop you.

the more convinced I am that I’m right about something, the more likely that I’m wrong.

We desire more than just knowing how we are offensive. We want God to lead us, to direct us, to guide us to become who he wants us to be.

your deepest need becomes a gift when it moves you to depend on Christ.

Jesus isn’t inviting us to a life of comfort and ease, but one of surrender and sacrifice. Our highest desire shouldn’t be for our will to be done, but for his will to be done. And

be broken for the sake of others.

It’s easy to impress people with our strengths, but real connections are forged through our shared weaknesses. We

True brokenness before God isn’t a one-time event; it’s a daily decision.

Every day, he chose to crucify his own desires so he could live fully for God’s.

We are each called to die daily. To be broken and poured out. To become dependent on God’s Spirit. To

God’s call prompts you to live beyond yourself, to not just be about your own comfort but to completely surrender to his bidding.

This type of dangerous prayer of submission is not easy to pray, especially if you don’t have a deep trust and reverence for God. But when you do get to know God, his character, his nature, his holiness, you become more willing to offer this prayer. In fact, when you experience God for who he really is, you will actually enjoy praying with such vulnerability.

When we see how good God is, we become acutely aware of how good we are not. His holiness reveals our sinfulness. This

until we see ourselves as sinners, we’ll never fully understand Jesus as the Savior.

when we compare ourselves to God, we see just how unrighteous we truly are.

led me to a fuller understanding of God’s amazing grace.

our immediate response from a forgiven and surrendered heart is the faith-filled, fully available prayer: “Here I am, Lord. Send me.”

the same God who has forgiven you has also called you and chosen you. Every single day, he has appointments planned for you. People to bless. Things to give. Opportunities to serve. When you are surrendered to him, you will have eyes to see where he’s working. A heart to feel what touches his heart. And hands to show his love.

This is another prayer of daily submission to God.

Your old nature wants to do what’s easiest for you. Your new and spiritual nature wants to do what glorifies God. And those two natures square off against each other multiple times a day for as long as you live.

So feed your spirit daily. Give it nourishment by reading the Bible. Spend time in God’s presence by praying. Enjoy God’s goodness by engaging in fellowship with other believers. Hear God’s voice by reading the Bible.

saying no to what you know is less than God’s best.

looked for at least one opportunity daily to do something that required faith?

small acts of faith teach us to depend on God. They

my answer is yes. So just let me know the question.” Now that’s the heart of a person that God can use.

If God said yes to every prayer you prayed in the last seven days, how would the world be different?