When Jesus Asks for More

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Welcome to all who are stopping by from Proverbs 31 Ministries today. I hope you’ll make yourselves at home. If you like what you find, feel free to subscribe to my monthly posts by signing up on the side bar. Or if you’d rather, we can connect on Facebook or Twitter.  Better yet, I’d love to meet you in person! I’m still scheduling speaking engagements for the upcoming year, so let me know if you’d like me to bring a message of encouragement to an event near you.

Over at Encouragement for Today, I’m sharing about that one small thing that has changed my life in a great big way. It’s a little prayer I learned when I was sixteen years old, and nearly three decades later,  I still pray it every day. Because I’m learning that in order to experience all of Jesus, I need to give Him all of me…

“I think Jesus is asking me for more…” my friend admitted as we lingered over steamy mugs of earth-brown java in the balcony of our small town coffee shop.

Her slender fingers broke her blueberry muffin into bitesized bits and she held my gaze as she fumbled with her food.

Our lives had been twined for years. We’d shared maternity clothes and potty training woes; carpooling schedules and marriage tips. We’d shared bleacher seats and book recommendations, prayer requests and parenting concerns. But just recently we’d begun to share the wee morning hours of our Saturday mornings.

Desperate for sisterhood in a season of diapers and discipline, short nights and long days, we hauled ourselves out of bed in the dark before dawn now and then and shared an hour of coffee and conversation before our children woke.

We were sleep-deprived and weary red-eyed, but we were learning the simple joys of bedhead beauty and yoga pants, unfiltered honesty and unbridled tears. And little by little, we’d  begun to share more than motherhood’s steps; we’d started sharing our strides of faith as well.

“What do you mean?” I asked in response to my friend’s forthright words.

“I don’t know,” my friend hesitated, her lips pursed into a soft pink question mark as she fumbled to explain the burden on her heart. “Lately I’ve been feeling like Jesus doesn’t just want just a part of my life; He wants all of my life.” 

I sipped slowly and pondered her words. And for a moment, I let my mind shuffle back to when I was  a sixteen-year-old girl lying beneath the stars at church camp.

That was the first time I’d been challenged to make Jesus my greatest dream, and the first time I’d had to admit that He wasn’t my defining desire.

I’d given Jesus my heart as a little girl, and I’d fallen in love with His lavish mercy and constant kindness. I’d valued His friendship and treasured His Word. But when the adventure of life had stretched before me like an undiscovered road, I’d wanted to blaze my own trail. I was content to have my Savior to travel beside me, but I wasn’t interested in inviting Him to lead and guide me. I wanted Him to fix me when I was broken, but I didn’t want to follow Him along the broken way.

I wanted all Jesus offered, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to offer Him all of me.

My friend squirmed in her seat and swatted a strand of hair that had slipped from her messy ponytail. “I don’t know if I’m brave enough to give Him all the pieces…”

Her honest declaration dangled over those muffin crumbs between us, and the first rays of morning light slithered through the dusty window beside us.

We peered beyond the smudgy glass and watched the sky alight with the pink-hued promise of a new day. And finally I asked in a raspy whisper, “So what are you afraid of?”

Quiet tears welled in my friend’s eyes; then she exhaled a jagged sigh. “What if I don’t like the life He’s dreamed for me?

The aroma of warm bagels and dark espresso beans wafted through the air, and I reached over those muffin crumbs and wrapped my fingers around my soul sister’s trembling hand.

I knew that flavor of fear. I’d drunk from that deep well of doubt for years.

What if I give Jesus my trust and He lets me down?

What if I give Jesus my dreams and He leads me astray?

What if I give Jesus my money and He lets me run short?

What if I give Jesus my family and He lets us fall?

What if I give Jesus my script and He changes my plans?

What if I answer His call and He’s not worth it all?

My friend let go of my grip and dug for a tissue in her purse. She wiped her cheeks dry and then shrugged her shoulders once again. “In the end, it’s probably all about trust…”

I nodded and let my thoughts wander to a day when I’d been volunteering in my son’s kindergarten classroom.

I was supervising a rambunctious crew of little boys as they worked together to build a Lego tower. They’d stacked their bricks as high as they could reach, and then they’d stood back to take a look at their teetering creation. However, in the midst of their excited applause, one little guy stumbled on his own feet and bumped into the table that held that wobbly turret.

The table  jostled and the rainbow skyscraper toppled. Bricks went flying and boys began stomping and crying.

But before the chaos dissolved into a full-fledged war, I gathered up the pieces within reach and suggested, “What if we build something new?”

At first, the boys hesitated.

“I don’t think we can build anything better,” one pouted.

“Yeah, we already had the tower just the way we wanted it,” another complained.

“Well, let’s start with a stronger foundation,” I suggested. I began to methodically fit the little plastic bricks together into a solid square base.

“But what if it doesn’t reach the sky this time?” a doubter asked.

“Or what if it falls over again?” another chimed.

Brick by brick, I began to arrange those colorful pieces into an eye-catching pattern. Layer after layer, the structure grew taller.

The boys watched, wary at first, but then one little boy flashed me a grin and took his place at my side.  “Okay,” he said with a trusting twinkle in his eye, “I’ll give you my pieces…”

And with a happy giggle, he emptied his pockets and offered me all of the bricks he’d collected from the wreckage on the floor.

I echoed his laugh and extended my hand. “Let’s build this thing together,” I said with a wink.

We piled and stacked, connected and created, and finally, we admired our masterpiece.

“I’m glad our first tower got wrecked,” my building buddy said. “ ‘ Cause this one is SOOOOOOO much better.”

Sunbeams danced across the table top in the coffee shop, a wordless reminder that we’d soon be heading home to launch our little ones into the new day.

But as we sipped the last drops in our cups, I told my friend about that Lego tower and the scattered pieces; the little boy who had trusted my plan and the beautiful new masterpiece that had emerged as a result.

My friend reached for my hand and smiled. “Let’s pray,” she whispered.

So we bowed our heads and asked for courage to place all of the pieces of our wobbly lives into our Savior’s grip.

And for childlike faith to trust Him with more.

Jesus, have all of me. 

 Today I’m giving away this beautiful “dream journal” so you have a place to record your own big and small prayers. And, maybe, if you’re feeling courageous, you can put it in writing and invite Jesus to be your greatest dream. To enter to win,  just leave us a comment and let us know what prayer you’d tuck between these pages today.
Have a wonderful weekend, friends!
Alicia

89 Comments

  1. I enjoy reading your blog and your Proverbs 31 devotions very much!
    I would like to receive any of your information by email if possible.

    Thank you very much

  2. My prayer would be to be a better mom. To make me happy in the place of life I am and not to get down about the little things. To put my phone down and give attention to those I love, and to treat those around me with love, respect and patience. I’d pray that he’d make me content. I pray He’d make me a better mom.

  3. The Lord has been asking me to surrender all …. lay everything down …. loosen my grip on situations, circumstances and people and depend on God alone regardless of how big, long or complicated my problem is.

    He is calling me into a fuller, deeper relationship with him which requires that I wait upon the Lord, and not go running to others to put my hope and trust in them or their ministries. It’s taken me 16 years to realize that there is a very fine line between being helped by a man (or woman) that God uses VERSES trusting in man before we trust God. I must trust God by finding help in the pure word – Spirit of God.

    My prayer …. “Yes, LORD …. more than ever I want YOU to be my dream. Let my life be living proof of your faithfulness by running to you first”.

  4. The prayer I would gently tuck between the pages today would be, “Lord, let me totally trust you even when the future might look grim, or I may lose more of what I wish I had. Let me trust that you do work all things together for good. Even the question marks that still cloud my mind, and the unanswered questions that often poke out to ruin my days.”

  5. Dawn Christenberry says:

    I feel as though you just reached into my soul and opened a window. And like a cool summer breeze, 47 years of uncertainties and doubts quietly drifted away. I was ready to give Jesus “all of me” and trust the dream he is for me!
    Thank you. 💗

  6. Thank you so much for this encouragement!! God only knew this was exactly what I needed to hear right at this moment! My prayer today is that Jesus would become my greatest dream and that He would give me the strength that I need to be able to hand all the shaky pieces of my life and future over to Him!

  7. Thank you for sharing this inspiring devotional! I can relate to much of what you said, and like others, while I love Jesus and want him to be part of my life everyday, I’ve never thought of asking him to be my greatest dream. I struggle when it comes to visualizing dreams and goals, but that is one dream that I think I can hang on to is asking Jesus to be greatest in my life. I want Jesus to be my biggest dream!

  8. After being married for 21 years and having 3 beautiful children together, my husband and I called it quits and got a divorce. That was in August of 2014. As much as we fought it, God made sure that the love we both still had in our hearts for the other would never fade, even in the presence of the seeds of hate and bitterness that Satan tried to sow into our hearts. Just recently, we both reached a state of complete humility and honesty and we found our way back to one another. Like the first tower of Legos, we initially built our relationship and our marriage on a faulty foundation. This time, starting fresh, we know that there is only ONE foundation on which we can build our relationship and KNOW, though times will get tough and the waves will be rocky, building our love for each other on God’s Word and the truths of His love for us is the ONLY sustainable foundation strong enough to weather any and all storms.
    So with what would I fill the pages of a new, empty journal? I would fill it with a NEW story of our love and our life together, one in which GOD is now the ONLY author. I would write the words of how our redeemer never leaves us and how He continues to walk with us in the dark as He guides us back into His light.

  9. Thank you for your beautiful words! I’m currently asking and believing God is at the center of my life!

  10. A prayer for hope and healing. That’s what I would tuck within…

  11. Geralyn D Miller says:

    I would fill that book full of so many prayers for myself and especially for others….those precious people God has put it on my heart to pray for. Seems prayers for others are answered more readily than my own, but I am probably still trying to get God to agree with my plans instead of me following His. Thank You Father God for loving me anyway. Teach me Lord to follow Your Spirit’s guidance. Take all of me. In Jesus’ Name Amen

  12. Denise Francis says:

    Dear Alicia, for the last two days I have been in feeling a little down, and this morning I awoke with a prayer on my heart. While praying I began to repent and to ask the Lord this very thing, to be my all in all and to help me love him more, because I believed that what I was feeling was due to an inner deficiency and not from anything outside myself. And the Spirit led me to my email from Proverbs 31 and your blog and finally your website. Thank you for sharing your heart and this testimony. I now have a prayer to pray everyday, and I will now be able to add other prayer to it each day as I seek to give all of me to Jesus. Your testimony has given me hope today, and my spirit is being lifted even as I write this comment. one of my favorite hymns says in the chorus Jesus Jesus, how I trust Him, How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er. Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus. Oh for grace to Trust him more. God bless you. Thank you so much.

  13. Wow. I was led to your blog today for the very first time, through the “Crosswalk” website. I can’t explain what a blessing your words are to me right now. I’ve always prayed for God to grant me my dreams….and God had allowed me to achieve my ultimate dream in regards to my career. But even the huge accomplishment and exciting dream that He has allowed me to actually live out through my career….it’s not enough anymore. Recently I have prayed and told God, “God, I give you all of my dreams and I give you all of me. I’ll go wherever.” Today I am praying, “God, be my dream”. Thank you again for your words!

  14. This was exactly what I needed to read this morning. I am putting my iPad down now to pray this very prayer.

  15. Jesus have all of me. Jesus, be my greatest dream.
    I have added both to my prayer notes.
    Thank you,
    Kay

  16. Jesus have my all. The good, the bad and the ugly. May I trustingly join you in building Your dream for my life into the masterpiece You created me to be. Help my unbelief, help me to trust You completely and unswervingly. Amen.

  17. Rhonda Fluellen says:

    Wow! and Praise the Lord for this devotion. I would really love to win this devotional!!! Thank you for showing us how much we miss out on not loving all of Jesus not just the parts we want of Him. Yes Lord Jesus! You Are My Greatest Dream! And as women of faith we definitely have to realize that our strength comes from Christ Jesus Himself and we must pray to Him everyday, every moment and every minute and every second! Because we desperately need Him and we can not live this life without HIM! Keep Praying Saints and rest in His Glory! AMEN!!

  18. This is just how I’ve been feeling….I want to love Him more. I’ve been struggling with having a close relationship with Him, I so want it, but seems something is keeping me from it. I’m going to post this prayer where I can see it throughout my day and pray for Him to be my greatest dream and to love Him more.

  19. Melanie Shannon says:

    Oh how i needed this devotion today. Jesus be my greatest dream! I want to love you more.

  20. Rebecca Portteus says:

    My dream is to help those who need help, and see the hope in Jesus!

  21. Melisse G says:

    I love the Jesus be my greatest dream so much, I actually got goosebumps! I would love thisnjournal as a way to lay everything out for God in writing so I could go back and see how He has worked in my life. Thank you for your encouragement today!

  22. I love your prayer and I am planning to go write it in my current journal right now! I feel that God called me into ministry of some sort about four years ago but hasn’t yet opened the door (I do lots of ministry now, but little that seems to match the vision and reach the depth of what He has put in my heart). So every day for at least four years I’ve been praying that God would lead me to the ministry He has for me, that I may fully spend myself for His glory. Your prayer gives me a helpful perspective, that I need to desire HIM above all, including above work FOR Him or ABOUT Him! (He has reminded me of this from time to time, but I needed the corrective today!) if I got the journal, the first thing I’d write in it would be praise to the Lord, and then your prayer that He would be my biggest dream.

  23. Karen Pratt says:

    WOW!!! This is exactly what I think I needed to heat today!! I have felt so out of touch lately and lacking something in my heart and soul! I have a love for Jesus but just never truly invited Him in! I think this is my answer to my prayers I have been praying! Thank you so much for this, and I am going to say this prayer everyday and all day! I can’t thank you enough!

  24. Ellen Cole says:

    While reading your post, I realized that I need to make “Dear Jesus, be my greatest dream. I want to love You more. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.” my daily prayer. I often feel like I don’t know how to pray “properly”. This one prayer says it all and will tell Jesus that I am available to make HIS dreams for me come true.

  25. Robin Prophet says:

    Today I had already read your “One Small Prayer” on today’s Proverbs 31 Devotional and cut out the picture and small quote to tape on my mirror and put in my journal to remind me to completely release isolation from my 4 grown children and former spouse and surrender myself to Jesus. Two wonderful Christian women counseled me this am, and I am struggling with their suggestion that I am too intellectual and that I need to give my whole self over to the Lord, and I am afraid I am failing at that and instead letting Satan fill me with fear that I’m not good enough and can’t love the Father and Son and the Holy Spirit well enough. I’ve been trying to take all my negative thoughts and feelings and judgments from the courtroom of heaven into the throne room of grace and mercy for forgiveness and am so afraid I can’t do it right. Please pray for me.

  26. Melissa Blackson says:

    This devotional touched me in a place I thought I had already surrendered. Lately, I have been doing inner work on a level I never have. It’s been SO hard! This devotional reminds me that at the heart of the matter is my heart and a renewed desired to turn it over, AGAIN, to God Whom I have known to be faithful, and Who will show me His faithfulness at the place where I need Him now. Thank you for sharing this!

  27. Sara Long says:

    I needed this so much today. I am praying for courage to face my fears and strength to overcome them. I’m dealing with depression and ptsd along with other stuff and I made decisions to get counseling today.

  28. Thank you for the giveaway! I hope to win to start my dream journey! xo

  29. Kaye Kruetzman says:

    My prayer would be for Jesus to give me the desire to truly put him first in all I do — my family and church responsibilities, my relationships, my free time, my service, and my giving. And, when he does, I pray I will be still before him and hear him speak regarding my acts and choices.

  30. Thank you for your words, they really ministered to me. My prayer is Dear Jesus, be my greatest dream. I want to love you more. I give you all of my pieces- I surrender all. In Jesus Name, Amen

  31. Jewel Cheng says:

    Thank you so much for sharing your story; it was exactly what I needed to hear (Praise God). I would echo your prayer: Jesus, be my greatest dream. I want to love You more.

    Amen.

  32. Ellen Nolan says:

    I was introduced to you today on iDisiciple and was so inspired! I subscribed to your blog and will be sharing you with my sisters in Christ. Thank you!

  33. I would pray that through whatever life brings my way, I would see the Joy of God and His working through every situation to make me the woman he desires me to be. God doesn’t waste our pain, and His presence can be felt when we praise Him, so I never want to miss out on an opportunity to praise Him!

  34. I want Jesus to be my biggest dream… I want him to be first in everything in my life. As I am growing older, this becomes even more important to me!

  35. Sally Ann Price says:

    Thanks for sharing this devotional. It was really great! I am so glad that you help those little boys rebuild with their legos. Have a wonderful weekend. To the glory of the Lord. Praise Him forever and ever. Amen.

  36. Karen Johnson says:

    I would pray that Jesus would give me His own peace – the state of His own inner being.

  37. Thank you Alicia for allowing God to use you to speak to so many hearts today. My prayer today is thankfulness for God’s patience with me throughout the years when I made everything but spending time with God a priority. I am so grateful to be back in a place where I am learning to trust and obey during the good and not so good times. I am so excited to finally be able to say with confidence that despite the many dreams I have for my family and I, Jesus is by far the greatest one of all.

  38. I would ask Jesus to help me trust him with all areas of my life. It’s so hard to let go and have faith when so many things aren’t going as planned. Thank you.

  39. Kimberly Cram says:

    Oh how these words spoke directly to my heart this morning! Piercing through me like shattered glass and exposing to myself my very own weaknesses! I am so very grateful to have literally stumbled upon your page and found my way to this message. Although, we all know, there are no mistakes and it is HE who led me to these words and showed me that HE will take each broken piece of Lego and build a masterpiece if I surrender ALL of the pieces to HIM. Oh how wonderful and glorious HE is!!!!!!!!!!

    My deepest gratitude and kindest blessings,
    Kimberly Cram

  40. Betty Pope says:

    I will be praying for Jesus to be my greatest dream, and wanting to know Him more each day. My husband of 47 years, died 8 years ago. 4 years ago, I moved to a smaller town. My youngest son built me a small house connected to his house by a porch.
    It has been hard, being around strangers, not remembering names, being single and 76 years old. I am in a small church and finally feeling a part of it, thanks
    Be to the Lord. Older people have their little groups and don’t seem to want others in their group. I am doing better, and helped get a group started for
    Singles. That has meant a lot to me, and my SS class of older women has
    Blessed me.
    My reason for writing is this……every morning while I have my coffee, I have my
    “Quiet” time, have been doing this for several years. I read devotionals , several
    Like Proverbs 31, Girlfriends in God, and pray. Some days I feel like my prayers
    Bounce off the wall. I find myself praying for the same things over and over.
    I have great concerns over a daughter and her 3 adult children.
    I have been praying to feel closer to God, and this is exactly what I needed today‼️ I will pray daily for Jesus to be my biggest dream, to know Him more
    each day.
    Thank you for this encouragement.
    Sincerely. Betty

  41. Marilyn Bucci says:

    It is very hard to trust someone with all of you especially the secret places you have kept to yourself but today My pray is Jesus I want you to have all of. Me even the secret places and Jesus I want You to be my biggest dream and that I will follow You into my destiny instead of trying to lead in Your name Jesus I pray!

  42. Alicia Winckler says:

    This post really touched my heart, and got me thinking. I’ve been a follower of Christ since I was a little girl, like you, but I feel like my trust in him has always been a bit rocky. Sometimes I am afraid to let go, to surrender complete control of different areas of my life to him, and instead I worry my way threw situations and get all stressed. I loved the story of the kindergarten class, I think I need to revaluate and maybe rebuild my childlike faith and make sure it’s on the correct foundation.
    By the way, you have a fabulous name!

  43. My prayer is to trust God more. I want to give him more fully and completely but doubt and fears hold me back.

  44. Jesus be my Greatest Dream. I have been looking in the wrong places to fill this emptiness inside of me. People, places, and material things can’t make me happy and feel full. But now I know what His will is for me today. I have to let go and let God in order to have my greatest dream be Jesus. I pray today: Jesus I want more of you and less of me. I want to love you more and for you to be my greatest dream from now on. Your will be done and not mind amen. Thank you for your words of encouragement today.

  45. Your writing today really touched me. I’ve had a tug on my heart all morning and wasn’t sure what it was until I read this. I want Jesus to be my greatest dream. I’m retired and loved my career, teaching for over 40 years. That was God’s calling for me then. Now, I don’t know what it is until I read this. I want Jesus to be my greatest dream now and forever.

  46. Esther Woelfle says:

    Thank you for writing about this today. I’ve been grappling with my dreams for my future & the future I want for my family. But your dream stops me short. If my dream is Jesus, and my prayer is to love him completely & let him lead me instead of accompany me, doesn’t it make more sense ultimately to do that? I know I think I have a good handle on what I should do with my life, but doesn’t it make more sense that he not only knows that answer better than I could, but he also knows what to do to lead me there? I write this because I think logically, but I still struggle to surrender & fully trust that his way, while perhaps being different, is ultimately the very best way.

  47. Jesus be my greatest dream! I surrender everything to you. Help me to let go of fear and complacency. Thank you for this powerful word of encouragement!

  48. Sheila White says:

    I immediatly connected with the women in this devotional…how many times have I sat in wonder at the strength and conviction of peoples faith in God, how their willingness to “let go” and give all their fears, hopes, and dreams to Him seems a given…I WANT THAT!! I want the peace that comes from giving “ALL” to Our FATHER in Heaven….Admitting this my prayer would be…
    Dear God, fill me with the Holy Spirit and help me to be like a child who lives and loves with blind faith…they FEEL their trust and believe unseeing and without the need for “visual proof” they accept unconditionally and love without boundaries…I want to be your child…AMEN

  49. Amanda Barb says:

    I want to be fearless. My daily life consists of so much fear. I battle within my very soul fear over the most absurd and unlikely to happen things. I battle fear over things that could easily happen. I want to trust the Lord so deeply that I no longer have to battle my fear.

  50. Alicia, I would love to know what Heidi is doing now – do you still keep in touch with her? I love the prayer for Jesus to be my greatest dream. It is a prayer of faith and trust. I agree with your friend that it is truly in the end, all about trust. A little over a year ago I discovered that my husband of almost 3 decades had been having an affair with a coworker off and on over the last 13 years. This is every woman’s worst nightmare, and it certainly was for me, except it is now my own reality to live. Oh, how I wish it were not so, but there’s nothing I can do to change that! One of the things God showed me several months into recovery and reconciliation was that God not only allowed this to be my Journey – He INVITED me. It is an opportunity to trust Him ever so radically, despite the pain and the unknown of the future. When one goes through a crisis like this, you wrestle with the question you had – is God truly good? What you learn, ever so painfully, is that God’s goodness includes at its heart, suffering. It is not the human way, but God’s way is the broken way. Your view of God expands and deepens. It is true that God does his best work in our brokenness. I am trusting God because I know our story is not over yet, and He is the master storyteller, weaving a plot with an outcome that I do not yet see. But I trust that it is for not only for my good, but that of my husband, children, support system, and others I am yet to meet. Nothing changes God’s love for me.

  51. Tammy Dyer says:

    I have wanted that childlike faith, and I remember reading Gwen Smith’s book I WANT IT ALL and when she asked me in the book to give my life COMPLETELY to God…. I felt the same way…it was scary to hand it over…but I said I would try. And without my realizing it God is answering my prayer and one upping my TRY and slowly making it ALL and not at all scary. If He knows your heart and it truly wants God first it will happen…just ask God in prayer. This topic intrigues me and I would love to win the journal to write this path down….maybe someone else can use it!! Blessings to you and thank you for being so honest with this topic. I think women worry when they give up the control they think they have over their households….that’s their domain….to take care of their family….GIVE UP THAT CONTROL??!! We lost it awhile ago….give it to God and live the life of Joy He wants for you!! I had the courage to say this because you did in your blog….I’m sure others have felt it too. Thank you again.

  52. Hi Alisha. There was a time in my very late teens-earliest 20s, when Jesus was my greatest dream. Some hard things happened and I lost that trust described above. I’m in my 50s now.

    This post and the P31 Devitional I found this page link from, is an answer to prayer for me. I’ve longed to ‘get back there’ to my first love, and that level of trust. I’ve missed it.
    The prayer I’d write is: “Beloved Jesus. Restore me to my first love, become my greatest dream and have all of me, again. In your name, so be it.” (I’d also print this blog along with the devotional entry for today, and tuck it inside the cover.)

    What’s interesting is that this all falls on the one year anniversary of my father’s death. He died a year ago on 2-17-2016. On 2-14-1981 is when I entered into a relationship with Jesus. 36 years ago this month. The journal would make a great memorialized prayer book. Thank you for sharing this very timely message.

  53. karen wieand says:

    Jesus, be my greatest dream. I want to love you more.

    This is written in the front of my Bible now. Thank you for showing us this simple yet humongous prayer!

  54. My prayer would be for today! 🙂 That every nook and cranny of my and my husband’s hearts and minds be filled with only Jesus – that our lights shine brightly pointing others toward Him!

  55. Thank you for the beautiful words! My prayer would be…Lord take away my control and lead me by your hand.

  56. I am going through a difficult time, feeling like I have not accomplished what I wanted at this stage of my life. Recently it became clear to me that I must revisit my goals and dreams. This devotion feels like a breakthrough. I want Jesus to be my greatest dream!

  57. Tish Murrell says:

    I needed to hear this today. I will soon be an empty nester at the age of 44. I have three kids and my babies are twins and will graduate in May. I struggle everyday with letting them go. I honestly don’t know who I will be when they leave my home…I have always been a mom. I know I will still be a mom but I also know it will be totally different and I’m just not ready. My prayer would be that God would give me peace about them leaving. And that He would help me to focus on the incredible future He has planned for them instead of the loss I feel. I don’t want to take anything away from their moment.

    1. I will put in the prayers I’m praying for my three grown up children to return to God! And we are trusting my Husband won’t be needing to go for a bone marrow transplant ! In the mighty Name of JESUS! AMEN !

  58. Diane L Walker says:

    What a great post – My prayer would be where next Lord. I am in a crossover season and would like direction on his next steps for me.

  59. Dear Jesus, be my greatest dream. I want to love You more. I really enjoyed your devotional this morning!

  60. What a beautiful devotion, Alicia. It is a wonderful reminder to not keep part of me back …Jesus desires all of each of his followers. It reminds me of the hymn, All of Me.

  61. S Armstrong says:

    Tears. I can hardly read or type this because of the tears welling up in my eyes. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I am continually amazed at how God always sends the WORD I need to answer my questions. Truth is, I secretly am afraid that I may not like the life HE chooses for me. But my prayer today is Jesus, be my greatest dream. Help me to have the faith of a lego-building-five-year-old.

  62. Susan Freeze says:

    Thanks for the devotional. Sometimes I pray Lord help me not to be afraid of your will in my life but this is a better prayer.

  63. Jean Smith says:

    I loved reading this today! Oh my, how my heart overflows with Love for our Lord, but to make Him my greatest dream? YES!! Of course… what am I thinking??? Only He can make my life what it’s supposed to look like! Today, and from now on, my prayer will begin with… Jesus, have all of me, You walk beside me, always there. You, Jesus are my greatest dream!
    Thank you for the beautiful story of your evening in camp looking at the stars. How inspiring that friend is~ I loved her extreme joy and confidence to say… Jesus is my greatest dream!!

  64. Elaine Segstro says:

    Jesus, be my greatest dream. I want to love You more.

    I LOVE this prayer and want to incorporate it into my daily prayers. Thank you for a touching devotional today!

  65. Thank you for sharing your heart. It brought me to joy. I felt open, unzipped, and undone this morning as I sat in my quiet time. The Lord spoke to me through your words. I was searching for Him, for something fulfilling, or was it a small glimpse of reassurance. My usual devotion seemed routine and even reading the Word, nothing stood out to grab my heart. I meandered over to your blog and there it was the encouragement that I needed. Thank you for shining brighter than the noon day sun today in my life. XO

  66. Thank you. I often ask if I can really give all nad trust God not to fail me. It was so comforting to know am not bad for feeling this way and. Am not alone. I,too, will continue to pray for God to fill me and give me courage to trust fully and let go. God Bless you.

  67. Donna J Young says:

    Like your friend, I have been feeling that God is whispering to my heart “I want more…”. I want God to be my GREATEST dream, and I truly want to give Him all the messy pieces of my life. My soul aches to live out His perfect will for my life, yet my own fears and self-doubt leave me worried that I won’t see what He is trying to show me. I pray for wisdom, understanding, and perfect hearing of what God has to say to me. Thank you 🙂

  68. This is me! But I have written this prayer on the front cover of my journal and am committing to pray it daily. I have felt like if I can’t give Jesus my all then I can’t give him anything. But I need to trust him to use my little and make it big!

  69. Melissa Weber says:

    Thanks so much for being obedient to the call He has placed on your life to write this sweet encouragement. It is my prayer that I would give Jesus all of me, in spite of any fear and pride. I am so grateful that it is never too late to come back to Him in this way, even though my relationship with Him is so many years in the making. I will be praying this with full abandon and expectation! Thanks again!

  70. Thank you for the devotion. My prayer is that I turn to and trust God.

  71. Amanda Dunn says:

    I, too, appreciated the honesty and beauty of your writing this morning. 🙂 I am reminded again of the gift of encouragement that we can be to one another. I desperately want to be therapeutic to those the Lord places on my path. And my number one prayer right now is to trust God more every single day.

  72. This was so encouraging, and such a nice read this morning. Thank you for sharing.
    I was just reflecting yesterday that I should consider keeping a prayer journal to help me better see how God is responding to my prayers. This is very timely.
    The prayer you shared in the P31 devotion is where I want to start my days, and it seems a great way to start the journal as well. 🙂

  73. This was not what I planned on reading 1st thing but it was so well written. I’ve loved the Lord for 40 years but never asked Him or wanted Him to be my biggest dream. I asked Him today — after all these years, all my plans — I want to let go of my stuff and love God more. I want Him to be my biggest dream.

  74. I really loved this devotional. My prayer would be: Jesus, be in me all that I cannot be. Make me the embodiment of your love.

  75. My personal theme for this year is fresh start, but it needs to be His fresh start for me. You have encouraged me to have the courage to say take all of me, I want to see what you want to build in my life. Thank you

  76. I absolutely love your writing! I am always happy when I see you are the writer for the Proverbs 31 daily devotion and am always inspired ❤️
    I have been in a struggle with knowing where to go in certain areas of my life; I feel I am in a waiting season of sorts…the prayer I would pray would be to have Jesus take my hand (and worry) and guide me to where His dream is for me…ultimately I know it is the best way but I get scared to completely submit to it.
    Thank you 💗

  77. Thank you for the inspiration, I too have been finding myself with a void & not sure how to fill it. Years ago I connected with a strong Christian prayer partner. We met weekly for prayer & friendship.
    God answered my prayer & gave me a whole new start in my life. It has taken me to a most wonderful life. But I have been searching for a connection to grow deeper in my walk with the Lord.
    So thank you for for this inspiration. I am praying for Jesus to be my greatest dream!😇

  78. Janice Elrod says:

    I loved this devotional. It really touched my heart and made me realize I need to pray and ask for more of Jesus in my life.

  79. This post was exactly what I needed this morning. I’m always amazed by the way God gives us exactly what we need when we need it. This is my prayer…that he will become my greatest dream. Other dreams pale by comparison but it’s so easy to lose sight of that. Thank you for your words. A jump start to my Friday.

    1. God truly amazes me! This is what I needed to hear today. I pray that God will be my greatest dream! I truly do want to love him more. I am 63 years old and it took me a long time to even believe God cared about me. Thank you fir this timely prayer! Amen

  80. Debbie Poland says:

    Thank you for your message. My first prayer would be: Dear Jesus, be my greatest dream. I want to live you more. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

    1. Yes! To Jesus. I’m not sure if Debbie meant to write ‘live ‘ or ‘love’ in her comment, but whether it was a typo or not, I do want to ‘live’ Jesus too. It’s hard to remember to be ‘like’ Him in moments when the adversary bombards thinking with deception and lies. I pray to be more vigilant in prayer and faithful to turn toward God’s face instead of mine..Thanks for the reminder and prayers for lost families we live with.

  81. Peggy Kirk says:

    Oh, how this devotion touched my spirit this morning. I am nearly 62 and have served Jesus since I was 5 years old, but somehow I had never really asked Jesus to be my GREATEST dream! Thank you for this timely devotion! I am praying today for Jesus to become my greatest dream!
    Peggy

    1. Lori J. Maples says:

      I love ❤️Jesus and I love ❤️ your blog on giving my all to Jesus! 😎 what a precious soul. Isn’t God so ever good? 😎I relate to your story and the Holy Spirit speaks. Today is a new day with a new way and my new prayer 🙏 today is God have all of me and let you be my biggest dream. 😎 I don’t know 🤷‍♀️ you but I believe in divine apt, word and prayer 🙏 from God. I know he loves me but he’s also sent this message to me to let me know just how much. Today is a new day with a new way cuz like you said I have all my dreams but I truly want God first in all my plans and dreams. Today I will say my new prayer 🙏 to him and say Lord guide me love ❤️ me and let u be my biggest dream. I love ❤️ you sister in Christ and thank you 😊 for the obedient call you have given and excepted in your life with God and others. May I do the same. Teach me your ways O Lord for thou is the living God almighty. May Jesus be blessed on this fine day and may he bless your fine soul. God assured you’ve been a blessing to me and Thankyou ever so much from the bottom of my ❤️. May he fill us with his awesome 👏 love ❤️ and spirit and may u have a most blessed day. God love ❤️ u and bless u and Thankyou ever so much. You have a most wonderful day! 😎

    2. Kimberly Cram says:

      Oh how these words spoke directly to my heart this morning! Piercing through me like shattered glass and exposing to myself my very own weaknesses! I am so very grateful to have literally stumbled upon your page and found my way to this message. Although, we all know, there are no mistakes and it is HE who led me to these words and showed me that HE will take each broken piece of Lego and build a masterpiece if I surrender ALL of the pieces to HIM. Oh how wonderful and glorious HE is!!!!!!!!!!

      My deepest gratitude and kindest blessings,
      Kimberly Cram

    3. Linda A Walsh says:

      What an encouraging touching story which celebrated the spirit of Jesus Christ within my heart. You have to give all of yourself to Christ for your heart to feel total filement, but we are in the flesh which causes us to be wary at times but if you trust in the Lord he will answer all of your hearts desires.

      In short I can speak the truth to all of you as for I lost everything, my family, my career, my children All because of ugly divorce from the narcissistic man I was married to who did nothing but make me feel in adequate until I finally had a psychiatric breakdown but in the heart broken journey I entered scared afraid alone I found myself longing for an even closer relationship with Jesus Christ. I found myself naturally moving closer and closer to the Lord for suddenly I wasn’t so afraid and scared because I knew this was gods plan as he knows the beginning the middle and the end so I have put all my faith in Jesus Christ and as I walk my journey I find total fulfillment of a dream; fulfillment of my hopes a state or quality of being fulfilled; completion, a vague plan that had no hope of fulfillment to a heart that is filled with total Love of Jesus Christ as I allow him with absolute comprehensive trust to rebuild my life putting the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit first and foremost in my life.

      Prayer Request: please pray that my children all grown will not be influenced by a man who is not godly and that they will find Jesus Christ speaking to their hearts and back in my life.
      In Jesus Christ name amen and amen

    4. I will put in the prayers I’m praying for my three grown up children to return to God! And we are trusting my Husband won’t be needing to go for a bone marrow transplant ! In the mighty Name of JESUS! AMEN !

  82. Joycelyn Camper says:

    I got up early to seek the Lord. I have been hitting and missing Him. I was thinking of a way to connect with Him every day, and how I could and would be consistent with it. What I read today help me to see my way. I love the Lord and I want to give Him my all, my life. Dear Lord I give you my all right were I am today. I let go. Amen

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