Praying The Small Stuff

Hey this is Mike Zwick from if not for God podcast our show stories of hopelessness turned and I hope your chosen Truth Network podcast is starting in just seconds. Enjoy it, share it, but most of all, thank you for listening and for choosing The Truth Podcast Network. This is the Truth Network encouraging prayer, God offers an open invitation for his people to talk with him at any time about anything encouraging prayer Dr. James Banks, author of the best-selling and many other books on prayer provides weekly biblical insight help you learn to mom and now urgent prayer work.

I have a, about asking James. You have a story to share with us, so why not start their okay well Robbie I love this topic because few things more directly got involvement in our lives when we ask for something in and receive a direct answer. The course that the challenges doesn't always happen that way and that can cause us to doubt the question to ask less but we shouldn't. Jesus says we should keep asking not because he wants us to have a give me kind of faith, not at all, but but simply because God designs that for our lives as a reason for will get into that, but here's my story of the other night at our church prayer meeting.

I have my own.

I just my own personal version of a thorn in the flesh, and I've had it for the past several weeks. There was a piece of glass embedded in my foot that was too deep to get out. I was hesitant to ask for prayer because the others who had needs that were much greater.

I'm on my feet a lot and you know just imagine having a rock in your shoe continually in you, get the idea. So I asked for prayer and I'm blessed to be part of the church family that really genuinely does pray and that was in the evening and in the very next day I stepped out of the shower and there is this couple of glass and I felt so much better that it was out unite when it was it was such a small thing, but such a big reminder we need to ask about the small things. I appreciate that the test is not usually where people go when they talk about asking me usually go for the big stuff right when you say yeah that's exactly right. Because often we feel like how can I bother God with something so small and I appreciate that God is in our personal butler bellhop. If we approach it that way.

Article find yourself disappointed pretty quickly, but God is also great enough to be concerned with the smallest details in our lives that it makes sense because usually when we think about not bothering God was something in our actually limiting my thinking that God is bigger and better things to be about doesn't have time for little old me exactly, but God is so great so awesome in power that if you think about it he's involved with the smallest personal stuff all the time just just think of how God sustained fear of every molecule, every blade of grass every aunt because he loves us. She's going to have in mind the details of our lives because he cares about us. So again we actually limit God, we limit his power, when we say all I couldn't bother him with that and I believe there's a significant reason why God wants us to bring the small stuff to them. He wants us to live in the moment with him recognizing who he is and and being dependent on him to make so much sense because otherwise just going online right that old Fleetwood Mac target membership, you can go your own way you can call it another lovely day living without prayer that really best guess when we don't live with Dr. we feel like he doesn't care. Then we sound like it's all up to us right but that also raises the question. James what about the person says I've tried praying about this most often.

Sometimes I just get frustrated because nothing seems to happen you know I appreciate that I know what that feels like about like you were saying that the real point of asking frequently isn't that we always get what we want it that we live our lives closer to God and and walk more intimately with him.

God wants us to even give them those things it can seem so trivial and surprising what can happen when we do, but because his wisdom is perfect. Sometimes we won't get what we ask for the moment and I think it's okay to bring that up as well in the conversation because often you know when that's happening in my life. In a capitalistic, I find that God is giving me a course correction and helping me to focus on his kingdom more and and give myself to him were to look out for others more and and you know to serve them and live for him and his kingdom. I see what you mean about the importance of praying about the small things because that opens us up in the right to God's truth be told we need to make those course corrections. I know I do, minute by minute now. Yeah, yeah. Me, I'm right there. I think that's the reasons Jesus so often referred to us as sheep you know anything we could do nothing apart from him and he said that we could do that he could do nothing apart from the father, and I think that's why he so often wants to teach us dependence. That's why, why, praying the stalls, small stuff matters because what this leads to ultimately is a life that says what you want me to do today where you want to go today and and that makes everything that venture because you're looking for him more and more and and living connected to time and just like your sign before that's for the little things really do become big because you're practicing God's presence and when you know he's there. I mean what else matters more in my nothing more affirming for your fate when you know that God is right there with you in the moment and you and you can have these affirmations of of faith every day. And of course you know some people would say oh well, what you asked for and got that was just a coincidence, but to the person who's prayed right beforehand and see that happen. You know you know in your spirit, because God's Spirit testifies that were his children. And this isn't just about asking for things. It's about being with him. It's about resting in him telling them we love him sensing his leaving more and and again serving others for him.

It's really about walking by faith.

Sometimes one step at a time. James living in his presence makes such a difference for the big request). Thus, absolutely. It's all tied together. How can you know how to pray about the big things. If you're not used to talking to God about the small ones because what happens is if you talk to God about the small ones when it comes to the big request you take your time and you can break those down in detail by detail and linger in prayer and you see this in in great prayers and in history like Reese Fowler or Daniel Nash were so many others I you know that there's this disbelief in the reality of God hinges on the moment because big and living in the moment with him anyhow so should we say sweat the small stuff.

I think we should love the small you love God, give it to them walk with a minute because then you really will see beautiful things and that's only the beginning. It's so awesome let's wrap up things with her prayer today that we can do just that (Lord, you know how I need to grow in this.

I just praise you that you want us right there that you love us like that. It's not the way could you bother me you are loving me even in the smallest details of our lives. Help us to love you back bring before you to yours to live for you and your bless each of us. We pray in Jesus name on that hear more from Pastor James by visiting the website James Banks.org or by visiting church in Durham, North Carolina. May God bless you and encourage you as you pray