Don’t Despise Smallness

• Posted on sdgale
• in 'CHOP Talk' Blog
• on November 23, 2012
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We live in a day when big is better.   Sprawling box stores, mega-churches, huge restaurant meal portions all tout bigness.  Small homes are no longer built in the area I live in.

We can fall into the trap of bigness when it comes to prayer.  A handful of people show up for the scheduled prayer meeting and we lament.  We get frustrated with how anemic our own prayer lives are.

Jesus didn’t have a problem with smallness.  He could do great things with small numbers. Twelve disciples.  Two fish.  He taught the kingdom potential of a mustard seed.

For the specific context of church discipline, Jesus brought to bear a general principle.  “For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” (Mt. 18:20)

Applying this general principle to prayer gatherings gives us encouragement.  Jesus didn’t say that when numbers reached 200 or 300 He would show up.  He didn’t even say 20 or 30. He said two or three.

Certainly, we want as many people at a prayer meeting as we can. We like to see involvement. But in terms of the time of prayer accomplishing the purpose for which it is intended, the main thing is that Jesus is present.  Two or three will do it.  We can be expectant of those blessings our Lord appends to corporate prayer. (For discussion of corporate prayer see my article on “Need Words?—the case for corporate prayer.”  The topic is also addressed in my booklet “Why Do We Pray?”)

In what other areas do we despise smallness when it comes to prayer?  Sometimes our prayer seems dull compared to others because of our limited imaginations.  Others take us places in their prayer we wouldn’t even think to go.  At times we feel like a third grader praying.  Our vocabulary is so basic.  And theological acumen!  We scarcely want to open our mouths in public prayer, less we utter heresy.  Smallness in imagination and vocabulary and theology can make us think our prayer inferior.

Then there is the time factor.  We hear of some who spend hours in prayer. Every day!  The best we can do with any concentration is 10 minutes, 15 on a good day.  (Actually it’s five minutes at a stretch. We stretched the truth a bit not to look bad.) Again, the lament of smallness!

And what about faith?  Our faith seems so small, so weak.  We pray, but we’re full of doubt.  If our faith were an engine it could not get the little train out of the station, let alone up the hill.  We confess we are nothing but 98-pound spiritual weaklings.

Not one of these smallness objections carries any weight in God’s eyes for preventing us from prayer.  God hears the stuttering whisper of His children.  He hears the words, whether simple or erudite, theologically precise or off a bit.  He also hears the heart, which can carry a different message than the brave front our words suggests.

And when it comes to faith, size does not matter.  What matters is the presence of faith, faith that believes God hears, waits on Him for answers and submits to His will.  Jesus makes this clear when His disciples asked for bigger faith.

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.” (Luke 17:5-6)

The default prayer here is, “Lord, I do believe; help me in my unbelief.”

We cannot allow smallness to stifle our prayer.  Sure, we can improve in the amount of time we spend. More virile prayer lives are to be desired. Our vocabulary can be enriched from reading and praying the psalms.  But the first application of our faith is to believe it when Jesus says smallness is not a problem.

Where small is not okay is limiting what God will do with our unimaginative, briefly uttered, basic vocabulary-crafted, faith-poor prayers.   Paul sets the equation this way:

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Eph. 3:20-21)

The next time three people show up for the prayer meeting, rejoice—and get down to the work of prayer. You’ve got a quorum for your meeting with the Lord of creation and Messiah of His church.