God of the Small Things: A Beach Lesson

Do you often pray for big things in your life? Those long-term struggles or big changes you’ve been hoping for? I’ve seen some incredible answers to these prayers, often after years of waiting. I’m also still praying for things that haven’t changed yet, and while I keep trusting God, the waiting can be tough.

But sometimes, a small, simple prayer is answered almost instantly. This happened on the fourth morning of our beach trip. as I was watching the Gulf waters. I hadn’t seen any dolphins and simply said, Lord, send the dolphins. It wasn’t a major request—just something I would enjoy. I was stunned when, within seconds, I saw something in the water. Then I spotted a fin, and then another and another.

Isn’t that just like God? We pour our hearts out with big, difficult prayers that seem unanswered, and then a small prayer receives an immediate response.

This experience reminded me of five important things:

1. God hears every single prayer. He cares about everything on your heart, from a major life change to a simple request for dolphins.
2. Immediate answers build faith. The answer to a small prayer can encourage us to trust that God has our best interests in mind.
3. Don’t hesitate to ask. God wants to hear about everything we care about, big or small.
4. Keep praying. These small, quick answers can renew our motivation to keep praying for the big things, even when it feels like nothing will ever change.
5. God’s plan is always best. Whether He answers our prayers quickly or after a long wait, we can trust that His plan is to shape us and bring Him glory (Romans 8:28-30).

The following day, there was a medical emergency on the beach just below our balcony that took multiple first responders from across the board: sheriff deputies, beach rescue, firemen, ambulace and medical helicopter crew. It also took one man on the beach who provided CPR until the others arrived. The same day a family member had a possible stroke. Today Charlie Kirk was killed. My prayers have been over all of these and their families as I know yours have as well.

These are big things and I know the Lord hears these prayers as well. We pray over all of life and trust the Lord to hear and respond.

What are you praying for today, big or small? Keep bringing your requests to God, and when He answers no matter how big or small the prayer, be filled with joy and wonder! If He hasn’t answered yet, He is aware, and hears. That we know.

Banner photo by TJ Fitzsimmons on Unsplash