Don't Pray Safe

This year I spent one evening at a women's retreat sitting at Jesus' feet. What is it you want me to hear LORD? I heard the sweet, still small voice of the LORD say "Don't pray safe."

"Don't pray safe"

I was not sure what that meant so I just let it soak in.

For several weeks I asked the LORD what do you mean, "Don't pray safe."

Over weeks and months the LORD peeled back the layers of my heart and mind and I gave me clarity through His Word, the Spirit and through prayer.

I had a safety net. I could pray "safe prayers". LORD if you want to heal this person, I know you can, but if not that's OK too. Where is the faith in that? Instead of praying what I thought I should pray over myself, my children, my spouse, or others, why not pray in the Spirit, out of the box prayers? Why not LET THE SPIRIT LEAD ME how to pray. What a concept. I know this truth and many who read this know it too. But out of the abundance of caution I pray safe. I pray sterilized prayers that cost me little and keep me feeling cozy and comfortable.

But what if God wants us to pray in faith? (James 5:15) What if God is waiting for a woman, a man, a young girl, a young boy to step out in faith, to walk on the water to Jesus and pray something totally outside of the comfort zone?

For example, maybe you have been praying for a loved one to get saved and as you are praying, the LORD leads you pray that he would be broken TODAY and today would be the day of salvation . (2 Corinthians 6:2) Oh no LORD! I can't pray that! "pray he would be broken?" What if he gets into a car accident? What if he loses his job? What if.... what if ....what if.
God is not pleased with our mentally exhausting imaginary "what ifs." I believe when our eyes our on ourselves and on our own ways, Satan can use those words "what if."

But God who delights to work all things together for Good (Romans 8:28) can change my what if into something beautiful when I let go and pray Spirit filled prayers. God desires our loved one to be broken so He can then build them up. It's ok to pray "Break him LORD until he has nothing left but to look up to you for salvation" Psalm 51:17 The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart.

But we often neglect this prayer. It's scary and it's not safe. So we pray safe. LORD reach him however you want to AMEN. That's not specific. Pray UNSAFE. Pray Spirit filled Spirit led prayers that may feel uncomfortable. It's a challenge. The LORD challenged me and He is challenging you. I recall several times when someone prayed an unsafe prayer over me, my child, or my circumstance and it built up my faith so much I still feel the radiance of joy.

Just a few weeks ago my husband prayed that the LORD would use me. It was 4:30am the Friday after Thanksgiving. I was heading out to do some shopping. I laughed in my spirit. How can God use me today? In my shopping? I was blessed by my husband asking God to use me but it just didn't make sense. I went to Target and then left and went to Kohl's. While in Kohl's I began sharing with a clerk, a young salesman about marriage and the blessings of how it works so well when Jesus is in the center. "That's not for me he said" "My parents have a blessed marriage but I can't seem to find anyone" I encouraged the man to trust in the LORD and went my way. What got into me I thought. Where did that boldness come from?

Then I remembered my husband's prayer. I smiled ear to ear!!

God did use me! Little me...on the Friday after Thanksgiving in Kohl's...

My husband could have simply prayed "God keep my wife safe and bring her home safe." But that's it. He went beyond. He prayed God would use me and God did. A total out of the box prayer.

The LORD loves when we pray specific prayers for specific needs. Not a genie in a bottle or santa claus request (please don't misunderstand) but think of Abraham's servant. He asked God to show him in a specific way for the LORD to show him and clearly reveal who Isaac's wife was. He said LORD I don't know this land and I don't know these people. Please LORD may Isaac's future wife show me kindness by giving me water to drink, and not just me, but my camels also.
Genesis 24:15 "Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out"
 I love it! This is an unsafe prayer asking a Giving God for an answer to a specific need and asking IN FAITH for a specific answer. God is a personal God is He not???

This is just a glimpse of what the LORD is teaching me about not praying safe. Pray Big because God is big. Pray in faith which = unsafe prayers. Uncomfortable prayers bless His heart. If we just pray what "we think" is right how is that inviting God to do a miracle? May the LORD teach us to pray prayers that go beyond what we can ask or think. Eph 3:20

Don't pray safe friends.

Pray as the Spirit leads!

May the LORD help me pray unsafe in 2015.
LORD Jesus, more of you and less of me in 2015. Jesus I don't want to pray safe. I confess to you that this is the easy way to pray. When I pray safe I am depending on my own wisdom and looking through eyes of the flesh instead of letting your Spirit lead me. Help me Holy Spirit to pray specific prayers and to take note as you answer and work mightily in the lives of friends and family. Asking all in the mightiest name of Jesus. Amen