In a world that is highly charged, energized and empowered, somehow life can be such a draining experience. In the busy-ness of life it is easy to lose track of the space necessary for thinking, for communing, for dreaming. I’ve written about the critical importance of our personal walk with Christ. I’d like to consider a related concept. Over time we too easily lose the capacity to dream. What I mean by that is “sanctified big praying.”

At the end of Ephesians 3 Paul tells us that God is able to do immeasurably abundantly more than we ask or even imagine. I suspect that with many Christians, God is not feeling stretched. If we don’t imagine big, then we don’t ask big. God can do more than we ask or imagine, but too often we make fulfilling that Scripture far too straightforward for our Lord. Let’s not only approach the throne of grace with the jaded requests of a tired minister. As preachers who seek to stir the faith of others, let’s take some time and dare to dream big dreams.

Perhaps you dream of bigger crowds in your church, large numbers of local folk captivated and drawn in by the power of the gospel? Perhaps you dream of bigger life change in your listeners – John who sits in the second to last row over to the left and seems to be going through the motions year after year . . . imagine his life set on fire by the truth of God’s Word. Perhaps you dream of specific situations transformed for the glory of God? That family breakdown still under wraps but known to you. How about your own ministry? While holding on to humility is it possible to dream of your own ministry breaking into new areas, utilizing different media to reach more people, doors opening that would really mean a lot to you? Perhaps your imagination moves toward key relationships that could help your ministry – a mentor, someone to mentor, a support team who would diligently pray and help your preaching in practical ways?

The great thing about turning on our imagination is that God can filter what actually wouldn’t help, or what we couldn’t handle. But praying bigger prayers is ultimately a statement of absolute dependence on the power of God in your ministry. Perhaps we should make sure we incorporate prayers as big as we can imagine . . . not that they will cause our infinitely powerful God any stress or sweat, but they may well stir a smile from Him.