Even in the small stuff

By Jessica Brodie

How much does God care about the little things in our lives? Is it OK to pray about small-scale things or should we go to God only about the bigger, more critical issues we are facing?

I think we should pray about everything, or at least try to. Prayer is a little word that packs an enormous punch. It includes everything from thanking God to asking Him for help to pleas for mercy and so much more—in short, it’s a conversation with our Creator. And in my humble opinion, it shouldn’t have boundaries. If we are truly having open and honest no-holds-barred dialogue with our Lord and Savior, then why hold anything back? Every bit of our soul needs to come to the table, whether we are worried about a headache or how we’re going to make it through the day on four hours of sleep or civil unrest or a cancer diagnosis.

And it doesn’t matter how we do it, either. Prayer never needs to be formal. I believe in my soul that God loves it when we are in His presence, fully resting in him, talking with Him about what is on our heart. The place doesn’t matter one bit. Sometimes that place is in the pew, sometimes it’s on our knees, sometimes it’s hiking in the forest and sometimes it’s while we’re washing the dishes or commuting to the office.

You don’t even need to be alone to pray. It can be a two-second moment with God in the midst of a conversation with a friend or in line at the grocery store. I happen to think those spontaneous heart triggered insta-prayers are extremely intimate, authentic and personal—and just as meaningful as the longer traditional kinds.

I happen to think those spontaneous heart triggered insta-prayers are extremely intimate, authentic and personal—and just as meaningful as the longer traditional kinds.

And really, even the actual words we utter don’t matter. As Jesus tells us, God knows what we want before we even ask Him (Matthew 6:8).

He created us. He cares about us, genuinely and personally. He has an emotional investment in us, and He cares about what we care about. It doesn’t mean He does everything we ask Him to do. He has a plan for us. But bringing all things to him, from gratitude to problems big or small, is a wonderful way to honor our God.

“Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.”—James 5:13

“The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on Him in truth.”—Psalm 145:18

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”—Philippians 4:6

“Pray continually.”—1 Thessalonians 5:17

Blessings on your journey!