This post may shake up your thinking a little. It may even change the way you pray. I hope it will do both.

As Christians, we can tend to react to current trends in Christendom with extremes. For example, if a group tends to strongly overemphasize the work of the Holy Spirit, we may avoid spending too much time talking about the Holy Spirit—almost “downplaying” His work, if you will. We don’t want to appear as “extreme” as “those people,” so we go to the opposite extreme.

Another increasingly popular teaching involves the seemingly extreme focus on receiving blessings from God based on calling out to Him with a “name it and claim it” thought process. In reacting to this “prosperity gospel” approach, we may avoid teachings about exercising our faith in order to accept the limitless blessings of God. We try so hard to avoid the one because of our belief that even “unanswered prayer” (i.e., a different answer from what we prayed for) is a gift from God, so we focus on that element of prayer rather than approaching the “scary zone” that our God is exceedingly able!

Yet I believe that both of these examples illustrate that the evil ick (the devil) often has us right where he wants us.

He wants us to be intimidated by the thought of calling out to the Holy Spirit to lead us, guide us, comfort us. He wants us to avoid acknowledging that the Holy Spirit indwells us, empowers us, and teaches us. He wants us to be silent because we fear becoming “too extreme.”

Additionally, the evil one wants us to place a border on what we feel we can ask God to do. After all, if we truly believe God can do anything (see Jeremiah 32:17) and provide “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think” (see Ephesians 3:20), people may think we’re teaching extremist thoughts on God’s blessings and the prosperity of His provisions.

But we can’t let Satan win. God is greater.

Yet despite what we know to be right, we continue to let the evil one hold our faith at bay. We give in to his whispers about what others may or may not think. We care too much and forfeit the victory too quickly.

I am more and more convinced of this as I hear my fellow believers pray. Our words are “if-y.” We give God an “out” in case our prayer is not answered as we prayed. Yes, Christ taught us that we are to pray for God’s will to be done, acknowledging (with no timidity involved) that it’s up to God to do as He chooses and to uphold His promises to care for us, to love us, and to never leave us or forsake us.

However, while speaking in prayer of our faith in His ability to provide, to hear, and to answer, we continue to use words like “be with” on a regular basis: “Lord, be with the speaker today”; “Lord, be with my kids while they’re in school”; “Father, please be with my friend who is having surgery today.”

If faith is trusting God to keep His Word (and it is), then we must believe Him when He says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5, ESV). This verse tells us that we have no need to ask Him the specific request to, “Be with….” He has already promised that He’s there! Our faith is too small.

Additionally, Jesus Himself spoke the words, “You do not have because you do not ask” (James 4:2, NASB). Sweet faith-friend, ask. Ask for His will to be done. Ask believing that He is already there. But ask.

Don’t let the evil ick hinder your prayers, minimize your faith, or keep you from receiving the bounty of God’s blessings simply out of fear of becoming “too extreme!”

God is greater. God is able. God is already there.

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