Thoughts on the BIG Prayers

In a bible study I am in we are talking about prayer, I won't go into the details, but my fellow bible study attendee asked this; is there any point to praying? God already knows our needs and wants, is there really a point?

We (When I say we, I mean everyone else not including me; I just listen and join in mentally. I am terribly smart, witty and a great conversationalist.....in my head) debated back and forth about this for a while, not coming to much of a concession; if you've been around this group for any length of time you find this is often the case, beyond yes of course there is a point, we just aren't exactly sure what it is, pretty much God can do whatever he wants! I love listening to these people talk back and forth; it's fascinating and rather enlightening!

Any way back to the subject at hand.....In the midst of this conversation (specifically, do we pray for the BIG prayers like peace on earth, because if those don’t get answered it won’t seem like we’ve failed. Unlike when we ask for let’s say, the healing of a head cold and we are still sick and we’ve feel like we’ve failed etc. etc. etc.) one thought really stuck out to me, I’ve played with it before, but it never really came to fruition until tonight.

Why do we pray for the BIG things? I mean, will God really bring America back to her Christian roots or bring peace to the Middle East because I KatySue of Bend Oregon prayed for it to happen? Or should I focus on praying for smaller, more attainable goals, like peace for my family and maybe if I’m feeling especially spunky I’ll throw in a revival for our town?

Now, put away the pitchforks and the torches and hear me out! I know we are commanded to pray for the BIG things and it even says to pray for peace for Jerusalem, that’s in the Middle East (Who says I don’t know my geography? So what if I didn’t connect Egypt being in Africa, hence the Nile River also being located in Africa, until I was in my teens…..my late teens)

Here comes the part where my overactive imagination kicks in, I know that when we pray for the BIG things we are meaning the whole of America, or the Middle East, but what if our prayers for peace in the Middle East bring peace to one person, or one family that live there? What of our prayer for America to come back to Christian roots helps bring one man to salvation? What if our prayers for the BIG things are being answered, but just not in the way we expect?

Please, if I am totally unbiblical in my thinking here let me know, but I have had this idea floating around for a while, but it really solidified for me today during bible study. I was asked just before we closed if I had anything to add and I almost said something about this thought, but I didn’t, didn’t want to seem foolish I guess. This does seem like a rather random idea, but I’m thinking extensively about it anyway!

So, I’m taking a baby step of redemption and sharing it now! If you think I’m off of my nut, think I’m a genius or just feel ambivalent about the whole thing, let me know! I really do need to know if I’m thinking is going totally against what God says! If you’ve made it this far I applaud you and give you permission to eat a cookie! =)