I was first introduced to the concept of BHAG when reading Jim Collin’s book “Good to Great.”

BHAG stands for “Big Hairy Audacious Goal(s).” Collins found that companies who move from good to great have clear and compelling, needing little explanation, people-get-it-right-away goals. Think of the NASA goal to reach the moon in the 1960s.

I have come to realize that Jesus calls us in our walk of faith to have BHAPs. Big Hairy Audacious Prayers! Listen to what he tells his disciples in Mark chapter 11:

“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Mark 11:22-24 NIV

Jesus says that our faith in God can move mountains. That is a BHAP!

Lest we believe that the miraculous is all about us, Jesus says in Matthew 17:

“Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20 NIV

The issue is not the size of our faith. The point is the size of our God! Who we trust is more important than how much trust we have. We have a God who moves mountains. Again the words of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew chapter 7:

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8 NIV

As a person of faith in Jesus, do you have some BHAPs? Are you pleading with God to move mountains, trusting that He can as a part of your faith walk? Recently I have been challenged to start praying some Big Hairy Audacious Prayers!

Let me share them with you:
I am praying that this COVID virus goes away soon and that, at the end of 2021, we will not be dealing with it anymore.
I am praying for my good friend of 47 years old. A godly man. A husband. A father of four. A fellow shepherd. I am praying that his stage 3 colon cancer will be removed from his body.
I am praying for a member of my extended family who is in a troubled marriage heading for divorce; I’m praying that there will be repentance, restoration, and reconciliation.
I am praying for 2022 to be a year of great harvest for our church. That we will see the fruit of the hard work done in disciple-making come with many (hundreds) of baptisms and commitments to follow Jesus. That 2022 will start where many in our community and neighborhoods choose to follow Christ in the small and build on the strength of God’s Word at the slow pace of good relationships.

Now, remember Jesus reminded his disciples that our prayer life needs to be persistent. We need to pray and never give up. Read Luke 18:1-8. That means not only do we pray BHAPs, but we also need to keep on praying for them. So what is on your list of BHAPs? Keep at it. Our God is a God who moves mountains – He just wants us to ask.