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

by Craig Groeschel

If you’re going to ask God to use you, then a genuine encounter with him goes a long way in trusting him.

If you ever caught a true vision of God in his purest essence, I promise you would never refer to him like a pal from down the road.

God is not playing hide and seek. He wants you to know him and delights in showing himself to you.

To truly get to a point of submission and availability to God, and to be fully aware of his presence, we are wise to recognize and understand our sinfulness.

When you pray dangerous prayers, you will see and understand more of God. It changes everything.

The

moment we see God for who he is, we see ourselves for what we are not.

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.

Paul calls it a battle between your flesh and your spirit. By flesh, he’s not talking about your skin. Paul is referring to our sinful nature. 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.

What you feed grows. What you starve dies.

When you start to avoid what hurts you, what happens? Over time, your spiritual side grows stronger. And your selfish side starts to die.

When you become available to God, he might ask you to go to Africa as a missionary, but it’s far more likely he will invite you to be a missionary at your work.

Instead of existing passively, start living aggressively, watching for opportunities to exhibit faith.

Your faith acts don’t have to be big, intimidating, or newsworthy. They can be simple, unassuming, and even performed in secret.

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.

Lord, help me guard my heart, as I know it can easily deceive me. Purify my motives in all that I do. May my only goal be to serve and please you.

How do you think your life might change if you prayed daily a daring, faith-filled prayer of whole-life devotion to the one who gave it all for you?

Because of who you are—my God, my King, my Savior, I trust you. Because you are sovereign over the universe, I surrender my will to you, every part of me.

Here I am, Lord. Send me. Use me.

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

Instead of craving a life of comfort, I’ve found joy in serving the needs of others through daily acts of faith.

It’s time to pray with courage, to risk, to open yourself up to a different path to a better destination.

When you pray dangerously, your life simply can’t remain the same.