In my years as a chaplain to professional sports teams, I don’t think I ever heard an athlete pray out loud for a win. My guess is that a lot of athletes still pray for a win in the final minutes of close games. Why else are those sweat-soaked NFL players on their knees holding hands on the sidelines as their kicker attempts a game-winning 52-yard field goal with 5 seconds left on the clock?

I am convinced that God welcomes every one of our prayers for safety, success, sustenance and health because they demonstrate dependence on Him. But, given today’s verse in Ephesians 3:20, God must often think, “Is that all they want from Me?”

Maybe we are not asking for enough from God. Prayer is a request that God would engage in our lives. What we ask from God deepens our dependence on Him.  

Our first requests are usually about health and wealth. The Scriptures reveal more — that God is the source of strength, peace, love, character, guidance, wisdom, understanding, endurance, holiness, conviction of sin, forgiveness, victory over sin, courage, insight, grace, faith, joy, patience, self-control, obedience, transformation … things that are crucial in following Him.

While spending time in the Scriptures, we can ask God to shed light on His truths, that God would convict, encourage, guide, clarify, and strengthen us … to move us to faithfulness and obedience to His Word.

What do you want God to do for others who struggle with needs, trials, loss, fear or loneliness?

What do you want from God to enable you to love, comfort, encourage, befriend … to help you extend justice, compassion and kindness … to give you courage to share the gospel, to confront a brother or sister or to provide a need for someone?

Overwhelming stuff? The passage confirms that God does things for His followers above and beyond anything you or I can even imagine.

Tom Petersburg, www.catapultministries.org