Prayer Leader OnLine interviewed Will Davis Jr., author of Pray Big: The Power of Pinpoint Prayers

Q. Pray Big is an engaging title for a book but it is much more than a hook. What are you telling the reader with this title?
I want to encourage readers not to under-ask in prayer. There is no place in the Bible where God

rebukes someone for asking too much of Him. God’s promises for prayer are massive and limitless.

Our prayers need to be the same. We need to ask for the most that God can handle, not the most

that can handle.

Q. Pastor, what circumstances did the Lord use to reveal our need to pinpoint our praying?
Actually, the idea for Pray Big was born in a prayer meeting, or after it. We prayed for nearly two hours. When we were finished, I couldn’t think of a single thing that we had asked for that would require a miracle from God. We’d done lots of “God be with Bill” and “God bless Sue” kind of praying. I felt the Holy Spirit asking, “What do you need me for?” That’s never a good sign after you’ve just spent two hours praying.

Q Many Christians and congregations are living a prayer-care-share lifestyle; they pray for unbelievers by name and need. How would praying big help us pray differently for neighbors and coworkers?
Big prayers are scripturally driven. The principles of pinpoint prayer that I talk about in the

book rely heavily on the Bible for their inspiration. When I pray for a neighbor, a co-worker, a

friend or family member, it’s easy for me to want to recreate them in my image. Rather, than

seeking God’s will for them, I seek mine: “Lord, make my neighbor friendlier.” “Lord, please help

my co-worker to be more of a team player.” “Lord, please help my wife to talk less.” Pinpoint

prayers make me pray the Bible instead of my own words. The result is much more focused, anointed

and selfless praying: “Lord, please build your Kingdom in my friend’s life (Mt. 6:10, 33).” “Father, please help my co-worker to glorify you in all that he does (1 Cor. 10:31).”Or, “Father,

please help me to see my neighbor as more important than myself. Help me to meet his needs before

I meet my own (Phil. 2:3-4).” Pinpoint praying aligns your prayers more with the heart of God.

Q. Please respond to these quotes from Pray Big:

"If you're looking for pinpoint prayers that have off-the-chart potential, then learn to pray

with other Christians."

Pinpoint praying is effective because it’s both biblical and specific. It’s the kind of praying

Jesus modeled in the Lord’s Prayer. It’s simple, childlike, and goes right to the heart of God.

Now, mingle the concept of pinpoint praying with what God promised to honor and said that He

loved—Christian unity—and you’ve got one potent combination for prayer. When Jesus said in

Matthew 18:19 that if two or more of us agreed, he used the word for agree that forms our English

word symphony. Agreement happens when two or more believers set aside their differences and

express unity around their hope and passions to God in prayer. When praying as a group, make a

point of agreeing together. Tell the Lord, “Lord we agree.” He loves the unity and promises to

bless it.

"A gathering of believers is more powerful than any other meeting on the planet."

No other gathering of humans has as much promise as a meeting of two believers who meet in Jesus’

name. Jesus promised those who collectively submit to His name and agenda that He would be there

in their midst. Never underestimate the power of a gathering of Christians; for therein, God

promises to send His presence and power. It really is the most powerful gathering of humans on

earth.

"The most radical truth about prayer in the Bible."

Matthew 18:19, “Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for,

it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.”(See also Mt. 16:19.) In this verse, Jesus

basically handed us the keys to his Kingdom. Whatever we unlock on earth in prayer—love,

blessing, agreement, or hatred, discord and conflict—will be equally unlocked in heaven and then

rebroadcast a hundredfold back onto the earth. Corporate prayer impacts heaven, and heaven

impacts earth. That’s why I think corporate prayer is so powerful in Kingdom causes. Remember,

the Church was born in a prayer meeting, after ten days of corporate prayer.

Q. Give us several suggestions for corporate praying.

1. Seek points of agreement and speak your agreement out loud to God
2. Pray over 1 item at a time
3. Keep prayers short, so all who want to weigh in on an issue can
4. Don’t preach to God or the group. Just ask.
5. Make sure you actually ask for things, don’t just tell God what is going on
6. Use verses of Scripture as your prayer guide
7. Don’t rebuke each other or counter each other in prayer. If you can’t agree with what’s being prayed, don’t say anything.

Q. What is the significance of "The greatest pinpoint pray-er in all of heaven is interceding for you in exact alignment with the will of God"?
Simply stated, Jesus is the world’s most effective intercessor. He always hits the heart and will

of God in His prayers. Hebrews 7: 25 tells us that He is praying for us right now. As a believer,

I find that incredibly encouraging. So even if you don’t know how our what to pray for something,

trust that Jesus does and is praying for you right then. Thank Him for praying for you and tell

Him that you submit to His will.

Q. You conclude with "100 pinpoint prayers from the Psalms." How can a prayer leader utilize this list to train their team members in pinpoint praying?
The 100 prayers are a great resource for your prayer groups. First, you can pray through them.

They make a great prayer script for praying that God’s Word will prevail in your lives. Beyond

that, use them to teach your group how to write their own pinpoint prayers from other chapters.

Tell your group members to read through Psalm 51, 37 or 32. Ask them write several pinpoint

prayers from those verses.

Q. Pastor Will, please write a prayer for congregational prayer leaders (pastors and

coordinators) who want to equip their congregation to pray big.
Lord God, I pray Isaiah 56:6-7 for these leaders. Thank You that they have joined themselves to

You through the Holy Spirit. I thank You that they love You, worship You, and that they keep Your

Word. I pray, God, that You will bring them into Your holy presence. Make them hungry and thirst

for Your presence. I pray that You would make them joyful in Your house of prayer. Let prayer be

for them and the congregations they lead a joy, not a chore. Help them to love to pray. I pray

that You’ll make their prayer groups and churches houses of prayer for all nations. I pray this

in Jesus’ holy name, Amen.

For more information or to purchase a copy of Pray Big, click here.