5 + 2 Prayers

“You give them something to eat.” – Luke 9:13 NIV

Jesus wasn’t challenging their logistics but their vision.

Prayer doesn’t come naturally to me. Apparently, it wasn’t easy for Jesus’ disciples either. Their request—”teach us how to pray”—comforts and encourages me. It reflects a truth I’ve found: as our faith matures, so do our prayers. This evolution mirrors our growing intimacy with God and deepening understanding of his ways.

The disciples’ experience feeding the five thousand illustrates this beautifully. Returning from their first mission of healing the sick and proclaiming God’s Kingdom with Jesus’ authority, they learned another lesson. Faced with a hungry crowd, they suggested Jesus send everyone away. Instead, Jesus said, “You give them something to eat.” He wasn’t challenging their logistics but their vision. He invited them into a partnership, encouraging them to see beyond the natural and embrace Kingdom realities.

Together, they fed the multitude with 5 loaves and 2 fish.

A similar transformation awaits us in our prayers. When Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” he wasn’t merely instructing us to ask. It’s a proclamation, spoken in agreement with God’s perfect will. There’s no uncertainty—it’s declaring heaven’s reality into our earthly circumstances. Our prayers shift from passive requests to active participation in God’s purposes.

However, like most worthwhile endeavors, effective prayer follows a crawl-walk-run progression. Jesus assured His disciples, “Until now, you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” He wasn’t inviting us to remind him of earthly problems, but instead calling us to partner with him in bringing heavenly solutions. Prayer becomes powerful when aligned with his agenda.

Growing in this authority isn’t about instructing God, but about stepping into what he’s already doing. Jesus clarified this, saying, “Apart from me you can do nothing.” Rather than stating the obvious, our prayers should bring heaven’s reality—freedom from disease, brokenness, pain, and sorrow—to our families, neighborhoods, and nations. We truly need and desire more of Jesus, reigning fully and powerfully among us.

When we pray in his name, we agree with His Kingdom priorities. Jesus patiently waits for us to see what needs doing and to step forward boldly, empowered by his authority. He is waiting on us, not the other way around. Our role is active; our purpose is clear: proclaiming heaven on earth through prayer.

So let’s pray boldly. Let’s pray intentionally. Let’s pray with Kingdom vision. Because, in the words of Jesus, the command remains, “You give them something to eat.”

Run the play. (Run the pray.) He is still turning water into wine.

“He is waiting on us, not the other way around. Our role is active; our purpose is clear: proclaiming heaven on earth through prayer.”

Finding Our Place in the Story

When have you been tempted to dismiss a situation because it seemed impossible? How can remembering Jesus’ words—”You give them something to eat”—change your response next time?

How might your prayers shift if you approached them not as requests, but as active proclamations of God’s Kingdom reality?

What specific area in your life or community needs the bold, authoritative prayer, “Thy Kingdom come”? How can you partner with God practically in this area?