5. Pray with Audacity

We should ask—in specific ways—that the full implications of Jesus’ victory over death and hell be manifest in our day and in the situations we face. We should ask that the kingdoms of this world be fully replaced by the kingdom of our Lord. We should ask for radical change everywhere. We should ask that Jesus everywhere be acknowledged as king. We should ask to be filled with the most powerful force in the universe—the Holy Spirit—so we can accomplish the impossible. That is audacious prayer. Jesus asked his listeners to imagine themselves in need of bread late at night. You hate to wake anyone at this time of night, but your need is great. So, you go to a friend at midnight to ask for three loaves of bread…. Waking someone at midnight is audacious. Society would say, “How dare they make such a request! It’s just not right!” So it is that many people approach God in prayer—as if they didn’t want to offend him by asking for anything too great. We don’t want to be a bother. Just a little blessing here, and tweak there in society—nothing too difficult, nothing outrageous. Just make me comfortable…. The coming of the kingdom doesn’t happen through tweaks. In fact, the things we need to ask in order for the kingdom to come are not even merely difficult. There is a sense in which when we pray we are audaciously asking for the impossible.