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

by Craig Groeschel

Your. Prayers. Move. God.

These prayers require faith. Courage. They ask you to risk.

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.

Without Christ, your heart is deceitful.

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

God showed me that what I feared the most revealed where I trusted God the least.

The things that kept me awake at night were the things that I wasn’t trusting God to handle.

Your greatest fear may point you to your best chance at making a difference in the world. You need God for every moment of every day.

To please God, to serve him, to honor him, to live for him, you cannot be driven by fear. You must be led by faith.

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

What you fear the most shows you where you need to grow with God. What do you fear? What are your anxious thoughts? What is God showing you? Where do you need to grow in faith? Trust him.

In my own life, I’ve learned that when I’m defensive, that’s an indication I need to pay close attention and be open to what God wants to show me. If someone is suggesting a change in your life and you bark back, instead of barking, you would be wise to listen. If you sense that God is convicting you of something and you are quick to tell him why you don’t need to change, this is a clear signal to pause and heed his warning.

Bless me. (Give me more of what I want.) Protect me. (Keep away from me what I don’t want.) Makes sense, right?

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

Trust that God will be what you need. Adjust your heart. Guide your steps. If you have had a bad report

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.

God, I give you my mind. Please guard my thoughts. Help me take captive any thought that is not from you to make it obedient to

Christ and all your truth. Renew my mind. May all my thoughts be pleasing to you. Help me to think on things that are pure, excellent, and worthy of praise. Help me to think your thoughts. Direct my mind toward your perfect will today.

God, guard my ears. Protect me from listening to any lies from the evil one. May I only hear your voice, your Spirit, your truth guiding me. Lord, help me turn from any voice that distracts me from your plan for my life today. May I be sensitive to everything you say to me. Interrupt my plans. Redirect me toward your agenda. Give me ears to hear your voice so I may follow where you lead.

God, set a guard over my mouth. May every word that I speak be pleasing to you, O God. Give me words to say to lift and encourage others, pointing them to you. I know my words have the power to give life and to take life. Empower me to speak life to everyone that I see.

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

To lead you to his plan.