Asking for the big box under the tree

Christmas season is a time of great anticipation.  Do you remember the excitement of running down the stairs on Christmas morning? Do you remember what it feels like to be a little girl hoping that one special gift you’ve been longing for would be under the tree? Do you remember being a little boy hoping for that puppy, bicycle, or BB gun to be waiting for you under the tree?

Do you have a memory of a Christmas morning when there was a very large package waiting for you under the tree — a bigger than expected package that was perfectly wrapped with a giant bow on top? The longer you looked at the box the more you longed to know what was inside.  You probably didn’t know what was in the box but thought it must be an awesome gift if it was that big!

What’s the biggest gift you’ve ever asked for?  Did you ask for a new car at Christmas? Did you long for your boyfriend to give you a engagement ring? Was it a hope that your parents would get back together? Is your Christmas request this year to get the big promotion at the office?

The kinds of gifts that I just listed are bigger than you can get on your own. The reason you’re asking for the new car is because you can’t afford to buy it outright. You’re longing for the wedding ring or the promotion because it’s in somebody else’s hands. The reason it’s called a gift is because somebody else must give something to you that you cannot earn yourself. Big gifts are usually based on big bold requests. There are generally two reasons why someone will ask for a big gift:

When you ask for something big you typically believe the person you’re asking has the resources to get it.  It would be outrageous to ask for a new car from someone who makes a minimum wage job. But, it’s not far-fetched to long for a new car if you know somebody who owns a car dealership. That person has the resources to give you the big gift you’re asking for.

The other basis for big, bold requests is relationships. I don’t know anyone who expects big gifts from a total stranger. If you’re asking for something big it’s generally because you have a deep relationship with the person from which you’re asking for the gift. In other words, the closer the relationship, the more you can ask for the big gift.

One of the biggest, boldest gifts recorded in Scripture is found in Luke 18:41.  The guy in this verse is a common beggar. He’s blind and unable to hold a job. He has no choice but to sit on the side of the road and beg for money from people. In Luke 18:38 this guy demonstrates that he can see something about Jesus that the rest of the crowd doesn’t see. He knows Jesus is the son of David. He knows God in the flesh is walking by.

Rather than asking Jesus to give him some money, which any common beggar would do in this situation, this man makes a big request. He asks Jesus to give him his sight.   When Jesus offered to grant him one request, this man went all out.   Jesus was delighted to give this man his request.  Of course, this blind man praised God when Jesus answered this prayer, but notice in Luke 18:43 that everyone else in the crowd also praised God when Jesus opened this man’s eyes. In other words, others were blessed by the way God answered this man’s prayers.   I want to challenge you to pray the kind of prayers that encourage others when they see God act in big ways.

Was the biggest gift you’ve ever asked from God? Do you pray big prayers? Do you “swing for the fence” when you ask something of God? Do you even believe that God wants to grant big requests?

God has all the resources in the world to answer your prayers. Sometimes we don’t pray big prayers because we don’t believe God is big enough to answer them.  It’s okay to ask God to heal that loved one of cancer. It’s okay to pray that God would give you the perfect wife. It’s well within God’s ability to grant you strength when you’re going through a crisis. I think God wants us to pray big prayers. I think God delights when his people understand him and look to him to meet their greatest desires.

Praying big prayers can also be an indicator of your walk with Jesus.  Jesus Christ not only can meet all your requests, but he loves you and longs for your best. That means when you ask in Jesus’s name, trusting that he’s big enough to meet those requests, and believing that he loves you enough to give his best to you – you can pray bold prayers.

This Christmas season pray big prayers. This Christmas season make bold requests of God. This Christmas allow God to put his glory on display by asking him to do great things in you and through you.