Obedience To God: The Power Of Small Yeses

Hey friends, hand to heart, I want to tell you about a conversation that reminded me how much God can do through one small yes. I sat down with my new friend Sharon and she shared a quiet, ordinary practice that has become extraordinary. She travels the world and, for years, has simply packed four devotional books on every trip and prayed about who to give them to. That small act of obedience has opened doors, started friendships, and created ongoing prayer connections that bless her more than she ever expected.

Can I tell you something? There was a moment in our talk that stopped me. Sharon told how, as a deacon moderator, she began texting everyone in her geographic region and asking, "How can I pray for you today?" She didn’t rush past the answers. She waited, sat down, wrote a thoughtful prayer, and sent it back. People responded with honest needs, wounds, and requests. One woman took a simple card to a cancer checkup and said it steadied her. That story stuck with me the whole week.

There’s a biblical rhythm here. Ecclesiastes speaks about a three strand cord being not easily broken, and I keep coming back to that verse, Ecclesiastes 4:12. When we connect two hearts and lift them to God, something stronger forms. Obedience to God, even in tiny ways, ties us together in a bond that carries blessing beyond what we can see.

Here's the thing I want you to try this week. You don’t have to overhaul your life. You can begin with a five minute yes. If someone asks you to pray, don’t say yes and hope you remember later. Text back, write a short prayer, or speak it into your phone and send the voice message. That small, immediate response makes the person feel seen, and it trains your heart to be faithful.

I remember the awkwardness of thinking I needed a big platform to make a difference. Sharon’s gentle obedience reminded me that faith in practice looks ordinary. It looks like a chart that helps you pray for family, a spreadsheet that keeps you honest, or a devotional slipped into the hands of a stranger on a cruise. The outward action is small. The spiritual consequence is large.

• Try asking, How can I pray for you today? in a text or message
• When someone answers, take a moment to write a prayer and send it back
• Keep a log or thread so you can follow up and ask, How is that going?

These are simple steps, but they produce connection. They invite God to show up. They also protect you from the slipshod promise of saying, "I’ll pray for you," and never following through. Most of all, they remind us that obedience is how we show love to God and to one another.

So I don’t know about you, but I feel encouraged to be faithful in the small things again. If you want a scripture to tuck in your heart while you start, hold on to Ecclesiastes 4:12 and let it remind you that our prayer connects us to God and to one another in a way that lasts.

This episode of Perspectives Into Practice features Sharon’s stories, practical ideas you can use immediately, and gentle invitations to make prayer a habit that blesses you and others. I hope it encourages you to say yes when God nudges you, even if it’s only for five minutes. Please listen to the episode, share it with a friend who needs a gentle nudge, and leave feedback to let us know how saying yes is changing your life.