What is your prayer life like right now? If you’re ready to experience God at work, praying safe won’t cut it. It’s time to pray bold, dangerous prayers!
In Psalm 139 in the Old Testament of the Bible, David boldly prayed to God asking him, "Search Me." Within David's dangerous prayer, we identified 4 challenges that can help you make this powerful prayer a part of your daily life.
#1) SEARCH MY HEART
First, mimic David's prayer in Psalm 139 by praying to God asking him to "Search my heart." See, when David prayed Psalm 139, he was under attack by God's enemies - and they accused David of wrong motives. Instead of getting defensive, David prayed this dangerous, bold prayer to invite God to go deep beneath the surface to his inner thoughts and motives that nobody else could see. This prayer packs a powerful punch! It's a Dangerous Prayer because, when you pray this, God will begin to show you things in your heart that are not pure. Not to give you a guilt trip, but so His Holy Spirit can transform you from the inside-out.
#2) REVEAL MY FEARS
For your next challenge, consider this: What makes you afraid? Are you worried about losing your job? Anxious about not getting married by your ideal age and stage? Afraid of what the future may bring? If you really think about it, what we FEAR the most reveals where we TRUST God the least. However, in verses 1-6, we see David put his full trust in the God who knows everything about us - even in the face of fear. We can take comfort in the fact that God knows every intimate detail of our lives. No fear is hidden from our great heavenly Father! Then, after confessing your fears, you can pray like David does in verse 24.
#3) UNCOVER MY SINS
Have you noticed that it is very hard to see your own sins in the mirror? In verse 24, David prays "See if there is any offensive way in me." What a bold prayer to pray! The thing is, we tend to magnify the flaws of other people, but minimize our own. We accuse others, but we excuse ourselves. While we all have these weak spots, when you invite God to turn His microscope on your motives, He will point things out.
One way to begin is to reflect on these 3 questions:
What are others trying to tell me?
What Have I rationalized for some time?
Where am I most defensive?
While this exercise can prove difficult, there is beauty in asking God to uncover your sins. God will not only forgive you, but His Holy Spirit can bring freedom to that area. This leads us to our last point, which is to ask God to lead you back to Jesus.
#4) LEAD ME TO JESUS
In verse 24, David also asks God to "lead me in the way everlasting." This 'way everlasting' is granted to us through Christ Jesus our Savior. So, confess your sins to Jesus and ask Him to lead you in his ways. Through accepting the perfect life, sacrificial death and powerful resurrection of Jesus Christ, you are made into a new creation in God's sight. That means you can walk in freedom! You can experience freedom from bondage to sin, guilt, and shame... and walk in a new hope because of the life you now have in Christ Jesus. Will you ask God to lead you closer to Him today?