Last Saturday I was urged by the Holy
Spirit to begin asking God for things that only He could accomplish. I tend to ask for things that could
probably be accomplished in my own strength or for things that are pretty
ambiguous, so that if they do not come to pass, I won’t look foolish for making
such a request. As a result of my small prayers, my faith has become a little stunted. My first big request of God concerns the Bible study class that I have been teaching now for six
years. Over the past six years I have prayed for leaders
to rise up, for the commitment level to increase and for the Lord to work in
me, so that He can work through me.
But this year the Lord is leading me to pray big and specific. I told my class what I am praying
for so that when God answers they will know it was God who did it. The specific prayer that I am praying
for is that God would fill every chair around every table in the classroom that
we meet in every Sunday morning for seven weeks in a row. This has never happened before and so I
know that if it happens it will be God who made it happen. In my mind I could
visualize the classroom with the typical six round tables with five to six chairs placed
around each one. Up to this point
I had prayed for God to draw women to my class who were hungry for His Word and
desperate for transformation. But
now I am putting my faith on the line and praying God will do immeasurably more
than what I could manufacture on my own.
Some may say, this is all about numbers. But, my heart’s desire is for women to experience God’s
salvation and to be set free from the lies they have believed. I want God and His Word to be exalted
not for my sake but for His renown.
I want women to believe God for huge things that are impossible with
man, but powerfully and miraculously possible with God!
After praying this big prayer, I walked
in my classroom Sunday and the room was set up differently than it had been
before. Instead of six tables there
were eight tables! It was as if God wanted to prove a point. The message was clear: You think asking for 30-36 women to
fill your classroom for seven weeks in a row is big? I can do much greater things than that!
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My
ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9
This week I have been encouraged by two
different sources to dream big and ask God for big things. First, I have been
reading “The Circle Maker” by Mark Batterson in which he challenges the reader
to have big dreams and pray big prayers.
Secondly I received an email newsletter from Waylon Moore, a precious
man of God who has been serving God as long as I have been alive! He travels the
globe training and teaching men and women how to walk consistently and passionately with Christ. He ended his newsletter
with the question: “What’s the biggest thing you are going to ask God to do
this year?” He followed the
question up with this verse:
“The least of you will become
a thousand, the smallest a
mighty nation.
I am the Lord;
in its time I will do this swiftly.” Isaiah 60:22
Wow! Yes, God can fill my classroom to capacity for seven weeks in a row
– making the least a thousand and the smallest mighty! He is the Lord and He can do it in His
way and in His time. I say, “Yes,
Lord!” In fact, there still may be something even bigger God wants to do and I
am now willing to ask. Stay tuned for the rest of this story!
I know my answer to Waylon’s question,
do you? What is the biggest thing you are going to ask God to do this
year?
Proving His Word True!
Nancy
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