I don’t want to say it’s become a pet peeve of mine because, if I’m honest, I do it myself almost every time I pray. It is really noticeable when there is a time of public prayer in one of our worship services. Listen to yourself and others the next time you are in a prayer meeting on a Sunday morning.

It’s the word “just”.

“Lord, if you would just bless us with Your presence”, “We are just asking for…”, “…that’s just what we need”. I am by no means a language geek. I’m your average doin’-the-best-I-can-to-sound-reasonably-intelligent kind of person, but this word “just” mindlessly placed in our prayers got me thinking.

When we use “just” as an adverb, like in the examples above, we’re setting a limit. As an adverb this word means “exactly or precisely”. Here’s the way we are asking for You to be with us. Here’s the thing, or things, we are asking You to do for us. “I just want you to do ‘this’ or ‘that’”…..nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. It almost sounds like we have the issue all figured out and we are calling the shots and then we punctuate the whole thing with a prayer that He will answer “just” as outlined. Just maybe, He answers those prayers…

I know, I know….this all sounds pretty severe, but give it a thought….just a thought. What would happen if we eliminated the “j” word all together from our prayers and went boldly before the throne of God with our prayers and the attitude that He is such a great God that the sky isn’t even the limit! He didn’t just stop there, why should we?

So think big when you pray because you are talking to a great big God.

So think big when you pray because you are talking to a great big God. “Lord, here’s the situation…….I can’t wait to see how You are going to move in this one and when you do everyone will know that You ‘do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen’”. Ephesians 3:20-21 (NKJ)

I’m just sayin’!