God wants you to talk to Him about everything, even your missing car keys. If we’re going to have any confidence approaching God about seemingly little things, then we’d better shed some of the extra pounds that we may have attached to our image of God over the years. Let’s take a look at some commonly held beliefs about God that would cause us to think that He’s uninterested in our “little” prayers.
1. God’s too busy.
It may seem that God is much too hard at work rebuking the devil, chasing off demons, and managing the entire angelic realm to have time to hear your tiny request. However, “busy” is something God has never experienced. He has all the time and energy required to hear each of us and respond singularly to every request.
2. My prayer is too insignificant to merit God’s attention.
Another popular God myth is that only the seriously important or ultimately eternal need is worthy of God’s focus and energy. The power of prayer lies in the fact that it’s based on a relationship, not on the weight of what’s being asked. All prayer matters to God because it flows from the heart of someone he created and loves dearly. God has the patience and time for your concerns, even though they may not seem to have any real eternal impact.
3. Praying about little things is selfish.
On the surface, it does seem selfish for me to pray about my upcoming meeting with my stockbroker—that I might have wisdom to invest my resources well—when there are people across town who will sleep on the streets tonight. But actually, there is much to be gained by my dialogue with God over even the most trivial of matters. Is it selfish when we ask God to bless the food we’re about to eat? Is a truck driver being selfish when he or she prays for safety at the beginning of a long road trip? You shouldn’t have to segregate your big, important prayers from your smaller ones. They’re all important to God.
If we believe that God is able to work out all things— even small ones—for His good purpose and His glory, then of course we should pray about even the tiniest of matters. Your request for God’s work in your financial investments, in the food you’re about to eat, and in your study habits may be just the thing He can use to build his kingdom in your life.
This article is excerpted from Pray Big.
