In the 1980s I listened to Jack Hayford teach on prayer and he greatly affected the way I pray. He told us not to screen our prayers. By that he challenged us to pray big prayers and ask for what we want. I’m like many who would reduce my prayers to what I thought God could handle. He said we aren’t to worry that we would catch God in a weak moment. If it isn’t good for us God won’t give it to us. Just don’t be afraid to ask.
Then I read Ephesians 3:20: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” His ability exceeds our wildest imaginations. If I can imagine it, He is more than able to do it.
When Gwen and I were at LAX preparing for a 14-hour flight to Sydney, Australia we bought a book in an airport bookstore. We both read it, “The Horse Whisperer.” It recounts the story of Monty Roberts. He owns a horse ranch in San Ysidro. His father was a horse trainer and had moved frequently and Monty wanted to be a horse trainer but didn’t want to move about as his father had done.
When he was a senior in high school, he was asked to write a paper describing what he wanted to be and do when he grew up. He put his dream in that 7-page paper. He included the location of all the buildings, the stables and the track. Then he drew a detailed floor plan for a 4,000 square-foot house that would sit on the 200-acre dream ranch. He put a great deal of his heart into the project and the next day he handed it in to his teacher.
Two days later, he received his paper back. On the front page was a large red “F” with a note that read, “See me after class.” Roberts went to see the teacher after class and asked, “Why did I receive an ‘F’?”
The teacher said, “This is an unrealistic dream for a young boy like you. You have no money. You come from an itinerant family. You have no resources. Owning a horse ranch requires a lot of money. You must buy the land. You must pay for the original breeding stock and later you’ll have to pay large stud fees. There’s no way you’ll ever do it.” Then the teacher added, “If you rewrite this paper with a more realistic goal, I will reconsider your grade.”
Monty Roberts went home and thought about it long and hard. He asked his father what he should do and his father told him it was his decision to make. Finally, after a week, Roberts turned in the same paper, making no changes at all. He told his teacher, “You can keep the ‘F’ and I’ll keep my dream.”
He tells this story in his dream house on his dream ranch. His teacher later visited his ranch and confessed to him, “I was a dream-stealer.”
Don’t let anyone steal your dream. We have a God who can do “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.” Dream big dreams and pray big prayers. God knows how to screen them for us if necessary. Don’t be afraid to ask!
