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In this lesson, I'd like to continue to discuss the relationship between faith and prayer. Let me start with a poignant illustration concerning mountain-moving faith that I discovered in the book "Partners In Prayer" by John Maxwell, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1996. This quote comes from page 9:
We grow to meet the challenges we pray for. I am reminded of a story of a climbing expedition to Mount Everest in 1924. A group of climbers tried twice to get to the top of the world's tallest mountain but failed. In fact, two of their party were killed in that endeavor. They met in London later to give a report before a crowd of supporters. On the stage was a large picture of Mount Everest. One of the men stood up to speak. As he addressed the crowd, he turned to the picture of Everest and said, 'You have conquered us twice, but Mount Everest, you will not conquer us every time.' He turned to the audience and with determination said, "Because Mount Everest can grow no larger, but we can." Prayer," by John Maxwell, Thomas Nelson Publishers,
In essence, God is growing us to triumph over our private Everest. Our mountain may conquer us on a first or second try. While the mountain can grow no larger, God enlarges us. The next time, the irresistible force of our faith meets the immovable object, we don't give way--the mountain does.
What's your dream? Everybody has a dream. Many keep quiet about their dreams, afraid if they admit to them, they become accountable for them. Is the only time you see a dream come true is when you're asleep?
Bob Gass describes a God-size dream as follows:
If you could do anything, what would it be? Most of us don't achieve great things because we give up, we fall short, we get off track, we settle, or we dream too small. Only two things stand in your way: dreaming it, then doing it. Have you dared to dream, really dream? If something is within your apparent reach, it isn't a dream. If it doesn't stretch you, cost you, or involve risk, it isn't a dream. Dreams change you even as they change the world around you" (The Word For You Today and Celebration, Inc., 2007).
As an intercessor for others, God may have you pray over His dream for someone else. Timothy once reached a point in his life, where he metaphorically camped out at the base of some unclimbed mountains. Based upon his knowledge of the young preacher's circumstances and temperament, Paul said: "I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline" (2 Timothy 1:6-7).
The next few lessons grew out of some old dreams that God's been stirring up in me. There may be an Everest in your past that remains unconquered, and the Lord wants to stir things up in you as well.
In this module, I'd like to discuss steps we can take to cooperate with God as He enlarges our prayers to meet the insurmountable challenges involved with our destiny. The first step to following God is overcoming our reluctance. I'd like to make four points on that theme:
Let's discuss them in more detail...
How To See Our Potential As God Does
First, let's discuss how to conquer our hesitation to follow God's destiny for us.
There are many levels to our uneasiness. To start, you have to overcome the personal skepticism that arises over the role God wants us to fill. I have a dear friend who believes that the Lord wants her to write a series of children's books. As she spoke about this project over several months, it took time for her to arrive at a place where she believed God wanted her to be an author. It took her time to adjust her picture of herself to the picture of who she was in God's eyes.
Gideon had a similar experience. God picture of Gideon was shown in His greetings to the man: "'The Lord is with you, O valiant warrior...' The Lord looked at him and said, 'Go in this your strength and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian. Have I not sent you?'" (Judges 6:12,14).
On the other hand, Gideon had a different view of himself: "O Lord, how shall I deliver Israel? Behold, my family is the least in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father's house" (Judges 6:15).
So, one hurdle many face is reconciling their self-images to God's image of us. We must learn to see our potential, not through our limited resources, but God's unlimited resources (Matthew 19:26; Luke 1:37).
How To Avoid The Fear Of Failure
Part of bringing your self-image into line with God's estimation involves overcoming the fear of failure. Maybe, God seems to be asking too much of you. The dream is too big. There are too many uncertainties. What if you don't succeed?
But "playing it safe" leads to regret. Theodore Roosevelt said, "Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor souls who neither enjoy much nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat." (Bob Gass, Copyright 2007, The Word For You Today and Celebration, Inc.).
When we focus on our fears, we empower their results. Jesus disapproved of the slave who, because of fear, failed to invest or develop the talent the Master gave him (Matthew 25:24-29). When we give into our fears, we give up on our faith. We invite the enemy to build strongholds in our mind, where God intended a monument of faith to go up (2 Corinthians 10:3-6).
Instead, we need to pursue the possible results with God as you address the issue in prayer with Him. Verses like Jeremiah 29:11 and Roman 8:28 weren't meant to become a Christian cliché. To give you a future and a hope are God's words to those who pursue His plans, to those who labor to follow His destiny. As we keep on asking, as we keep on seeking, as we keep on knocking--and as our prayers towards heaven agree with our words and actions on earth agree, it is then that we find hope. If a person has no inclination to live out what God designed them to do, then the promises inherent in those verses will not be activated.
So instead of thinking the worst, pray for the best thing that could happen. You may enter new territory, enjoy new blessings, live the life God meant for you, bless others, and feel alive on the insides.
(We will discuss the 3rd and 4th ingredients to developing a faith-filled prayer life in the next lesson.)