Praying Bold Prayers

Jul 7

Today’s Scriptures: Mark 11:22-24, 1 John 5:14-15, Ephesians 6:19-20

Movement 1: The Whispers of Doubt

Story time: My friend does not yet know how much Jesus adores her. We’ve been friends for years, and I have not been shy in sharing my faith. In recent years, she has battled cancer...3 times. Each time, I asked if I could put my hand on her and pray for healing. Each time she said yes. And...each time God healed her! Remission, remission, remission.

Before her most recent healing, I prayed over her as we shared a meal. When I got home, I shared with my husband about the recurrence of the cancer, and he said, “Well, maybe it’s just scar tissue from the previous treatments.” The simple suggestion led me to text my friend, share the suggestion, and tell her we would be praying that it is just scar tissue. She responded with doubt and sadness, and yet thanked me for the prayers.

On the day of her scan, I texted her and said, “Been praying for you all week and praying for today’s scan. I’m praying that it is scar tissue and nothing else.” But listen - I hesitated sending that text! What if it is cancer again? What would she think of my prayer? Of me? Of God? But I sent it anyway. Why? Trust and faith that my God is bigger than human words, bigger than my doubt, bigger than cancer.

Reflect and meditate: Read Mark 11:22-24: Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.“

As Christ-followers, we read these words, and we believe them...but we also don’t believe them. Doubt creeps in in the form of all of the “what ifs”.

Pray: Pray for the Lord to increase your faith in Him, to increase your trust in Him and His good plans. Ask Him to silence the voice of the enemy who whispers the “what ifs” into existence. Ask Him to remove any traces of doubt.

Movement 2: Bold Prayer Answered

Story time: The day after my friend’s scan, I received this message: Hey. I think that your prayers may have been answered. They put the results of the scan on my chart and it looks like to me that it’s saying that it is just scar tissue and not cancer. I don’t understand a lot of what it says but it looks like good news to me. I see the doctor next Wednesday so he can explain the results to me, but I’m feeling much better about it now. Thank you both for all your prayers and support.

WHAT?! Yep, answered prayer. God is good! One thing that stood out to me was the specificity of the prayer I prayed: “I’m praying that it is scar tissue and nothing else.” And, I shared it with her. When the scan results came in, there was no doubt that God had answered our very specific prayer. I had also shared this with her so that when He answered, I was able to draw the attention back to Him. God heard our very specific prayer and answered it.

Reflect and meditate: Read 1 John 5:14-15: ‘And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.’

Is there a very specific prayer request that you have yet to speak aloud to God because you are fearful of the answer? If so, that’s ok - you are human. And God does not condemn you for an emotion. However, he does not want you to stay in that place of fear and doubt.

Pray: Talk to God about the specific prayer request you have yet to speak of. Ask Him to decimate your doubt and fear and give you the confidence and boldness to seek, knock, and ask...

Movement 3: The Bold Ask

Read: And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike. I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should. Ephesians 6:19-20

Reflect and meditate: One way God reveals Himself to people through miracles, signs, and wonders. He draws us to Himself through the things that we can’t make sense in our human minds. Who do you know that desperately needs to know Jesus and also has a big thing going on in their life right now? What could it look like to share a very specific prayer over them?

Paul models for us what it means to “boldly explain God’s mysterious plan”. He says to be ready to speak the right words to everyone - no matter who they are. We are called to be God’s ambassadors - His official representatives, chosen to speak boldly for Him. Even if the prayer seems too big or too specific, He reminds us that the result or answer to the prayer is not our worry. Our job is to ask.

Pray: Ask God to bring to mind a person in your life who has a bold prayer request. Ask Him to give you the boldness to pray over that person and share the prayer with them.