Shameless Audacity

Sorry, I know I blogged already today, but I'm reading a new Bible translation and I came upon this phrase, and I can't get it out of my head. I just love it.

Shameless audacity.

Here's where it comes from. Jesus is trying to explain to His disciples about prayer and He tells a story of a man who asks his neighbor for bread at midnight after the neighbor's all comfy in bed with the door locked. Jesus says that the neighbor will not give him bread out of friendship, but because of the "Shameless Audacity" of asking for it in the middle of the night, he will go do it.

When was the last time you prayed for something so big you thought you had a shameless audacity to ask it of God? Have we whittled our prayers down to nice little prayers that are easy to answer so we're not imposing on God?

To my shame I learned this lesson in Africa. I remember praying that our school assemblies would make a difference in these kids lives, that they would be changed and better off for us being there. And I remember thinking and praying, "Please God, let 10 people get it. If only 10 people would understand your love." Instead, I remember the person speaking ask if anyone there would like to start a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and hundreds of hands going up asking how (at some schools, it was thousands). I had originally thought that 10 was a nice number. How safe. How stupid. What if I had prayer for a shamelessly audacious number of people to experience God's love. What would have happened then?

T