Dangerous
The Most Dangerous Prayer in the
Bible
J. LEE GRADY
"Here
I am, send me!" (Isaiah 6:8b).
More than 19 years
ago, I found myself at a church altar in Orlando, Florida.
God had been dealing with me about leaving
my comfort zone.
I had a great job with nice benefits, yet I
felt spiritually unfulfilled.
I knew there was an amazing adventure in
front of me, but I had placed serious limitations on my obedience.
As I buried my head
in the carpet in that church, I realized God was requiring unconditional
surrender.
He wanted me to wave a white flag.
I knew what I had to say, but it was
difficult to form the words.
Finally, I coughed
them up. I said the same thing the prophet Isaiah prayed long ago: "Here
I am, send me!" (Isaiah 6:8b).
This is what I call
a dangerous prayer. It should include a warning label!
I believe when you
utter these simple words, heaven takes a Polaroid picture of you with your
hands up—and an amazing process begins.
God closes in on us in order to crush our
fears and demolish our selfishness. Then He gives us the holy boldness to speak
what we were afraid to say.
When I prayed this
prayer in 1998, I immediately had a vision while I was still on the floor.
I saw a sea of African faces. I knew I'd be
going to Africa, and I was scared to death.
I had no idea how I
would get there, what I would say or who would pay for the trip. So I swallowed
hard and prayed again: Here I
am, send me!
Less than two years
later, I found myself standing on a huge stage in a sports arena in Port
Harcourt, Nigeria, speaking to 7,000 pastors.
I did not enjoy the bumpy flight across the
Sahara, and my knees were knocking when I preached. I felt as if I had been
pushed way out on a limb.
But even though I
was terrified, my fear was mixed with incredible joy. The Lord had overcome my
resistance, and He was using me.
Since that trip, I have ministered in more
than 30 countries.
This week, I have been in Malaysia and
Singapore, all because I prayed a dangerous prayer.
Grace is so
amazing.
God not only gives us the power to serve
Him; He plants in us the desire to surrender to His will even if we are scared
of the consequences.
This is what the
apostle Paul described when he said: "For God is the One working in you,
both to will and to do His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13).
God has an uncanny
way of wooing us into obedience and submission. Our flesh may protest; our
fears may paralyze us.
But in the end, if we will simply lift our
hands in surrender, grace takes over.
He gives us power, strength and a willing
heart. And the results are supernatural because it is God at work in us.
Jesus taught His
disciples to cultivate this willing spirit and to pray this dangerous prayer.
He told them: "The
harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray therefore the Lord
of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest" (Luke 10:2).
This is what I call
a trick prayer. You pray it at your own risk. When we ask the Lord to send
workers into His fields, we are really praying, "Here I am, Lord. Send Mike—or Chuck—or Barbara."
But the Lord of the
harvest will likely tap you on the shoulder and say, "Well? What about you?"
One of them was the brave David Brainerd (1718-1747), a
missionary to American Indians during the First Great Awakening.
Although he died of tuberculosis at age 29,
his legacy of total consecration lives on in his journal, published by his
friend Jonathan Edwards.
Brainerd recorded
this very dangerous prayer in his diary: "Here
am I, send me; send me to the ends of the earth; send me to the rough, the
savage pagans of the wilderness; send me from all that is called comfort on earth;
send me even to death itself, if it be but in Thy service, and to promote Thy
kingdom."
We rarely hear
prayers like that today. Brainerd's passion would be considered politically
incorrect fanaticism today.
We don't promote self-sacrifice; we have a
new gospel of self-fulfillment.
We don't talk about carrying a burden for
lost people; we ourselves are lost in our comfortable materialism.
I wonder what would
happen if all of us prayed Isaiah's prayer with full sincerity.
What if you raised your hands and left all
your fears, worries, excuses, stipulations, limitations and conditions on
heaven's altar—and invited God to use your life in any way He wants.
I invite you to
take the risk.
Pray a dangerous prayer, and see how God
will use you.
God never calls us to do something for Him that
He does not empower us to do if we are willing to do the work and time. Take
the time to get to know God in an intimate way.
Your purpose on earth is to shine God’s love to
a lost and dying world.
Open your ears and your heart to the Lord and be
excited about your new future serving Him in spirit and truth.
God has made it possible for you to know Him and
experience an amazing change in your own life.
Serve Him.
.
Wait on Him.
And expect … for He is able to do much much more
than you can ask or imagine.
Settle that sin issue ...
“Father God, I confess I am a sinner and my sins have
separated me from You.
I am truly sorry. I now want to turn away from
my past sinful life and live a new life pleasing to You.
Please forgive me, and help me avoid
sinning again.
I believe that Your Son, Jesus Christ died
for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer.
I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my
life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Thank You that
according to Your Word, I am now born again.
Please send Your Holy Spirit to help me
obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. I promise to study Your
Word – the Bible.
Use me for Your glory.
In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.”
J. Lee
Grady was
editor of Charisma for 11 years before he launched into
full-time ministry in 2010. Today he directs The Mordecai Project,
a Christian charitable organization that is taking the healing of Jesus to
women and girls who suffer abuse and cultural oppression. Author of several
books including 10
Lies the Church Tells Women, he has just released his newest
book, Set My Heart on Fire, from Charisma House. You can
follow him on Twitter at @LeeGrady or go to his website,themordecaiproject.org.
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Lyrics & Music by Reuben Morgan
Worship Leader : Darlene
Zschech
From the 2004
Hillsong Live album "For All You've Done"
CLICK HERE . . .
lyrics
Into Your hand I commit again
With All I am For You Lord
You hold my world in the palm of Your hand
And I'm Yours forever
Jesus I believe in You
Jesus I belong to You
You're the reason that I live
The reason that I sing with all I am
I'll walk with You wherever You go
Through tears and joy I'll trust in You
And I will live in all of Your ways
Your promises forever
Jesus I believe in You
Jesus I belong to You
You're the reason that I live
The reason that I sing
Jesus I believe in You
Jesus I belong to You
You're the reason that I live
The reason that I sing with all I am
I will worship, I will worship You
I will worship, I will worship You
I will worship, I will worship You
I will worship, I will worship You
I will worship, I will worship You
I will worship, I will worship You
I will worship, I will worship You
I will worship, I will worship You
Jesus I believe in You
Jesus I belong to You
You're the reason that I live
The reason that I sing
Jesus I believe in You
Jesus I belong to You
You're the reason that I live
The reason that I sing
Jesus I believe in You
Jesus I belong to You
You're the reason that I live
The reason that I sing with all I am
You hold my world in the palm of Your hand
And I'm Yours forever
Jesus I believe in You
Jesus I belong to You
You're the reason that I live
The reason that I sing with all I am
I'll walk with You wherever You go
Through tears and joy I'll trust in You
And I will live in all of Your ways
Your promises forever
Jesus I believe in You
Jesus I belong to You
You're the reason that I live
The reason that I sing
Jesus I believe in You
Jesus I belong to You
You're the reason that I live
The reason that I sing with all I am
I will worship, I will worship You
I will worship, I will worship You
I will worship, I will worship You
I will worship, I will worship You
I will worship, I will worship You
I will worship, I will worship You
I will worship, I will worship You
I will worship, I will worship You
Jesus I believe in You
Jesus I belong to You
You're the reason that I live
The reason that I sing
Jesus I believe in You
Jesus I belong to You
You're the reason that I live
The reason that I sing
Jesus I believe in You
Jesus I belong to You
You're the reason that I live
The reason that I sing with all I am
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