One-on-One with Craig Groeschel on ‘Dangerous Prayers’

I think there are many Christians who know they should pray, who want to have great faith when they pray, but often don’t.

Ed: Talk to me about your latest book and what makes it so significant.

Craig: I’m incredibly passionate about this book because it’s really a reflection of the personal struggles I’ve had with my prayer life. I think there are many Christians who know they should pray, who want to have great faith when they pray, but often don’t.

We get easily distracted or we end up praying really safe, boring prayers, like, “God, bless my food and keep me safe today.” This book is born out of my own desire for more in my prayer life. Hopefully, I can help give people a pathway to fall more intimately in love with God by not praying safe, docile prayers, but instead having more of a daring, radical faith to believe in a God who says all things are possible through him.

Ed: You mentioned that as Christians we can often get stuck in a rut of praying safe prayers. Would you say that in reality no prayer should be safe?

Craig: I think prayer is inherently dangerous because we’re surrendering and submitting our desires to God. I wouldn’t ever say don’t pray for the safety of your kids. I think any loving parent would want their kids to be safe. I don’t think I’d ever say don’t pray that you have a good day, because I hope you do have a great day.

But if our prayers are only for parking spots and blessing food, we’re almost insulting our God who can do so much more.

When I look at some of the prayers in scripture, they’re much more dangerous. In one of the prayers we talk about in the Old Testament, David asked God and gave God permission to search him. That’s a dangerous prayer: search me God.

Then he prayed, “See if there is any offensive way in me.” ...