I want I may at all times handle God in prayer as Paul did: “Now to him who is ready to do much more abundantly than all that we ask or assume . . .” (Ephesians 3:20).
If I extra constantly believed that mine was a God to reply properly past my asking, I’d pray extra typically and extra boldly. Religion taught Paul to start this fashion, a religion that routinely solid mountains into the ocean. Paul doesn’t merely handle a listening to God, however an answering God.
But he reaches greater. Paul doesn’t merely handle an answering God, however a God who solutions prayer much better than we will even assume to hope. He summons us to name upon a excessive and ready God: “Now to him who is ready to do much more abundantly than all that we ask or assume . . .”
My coronary heart, on weaker days, struggles to elevate its voice to such a God. It has questions. When I attempt to take the textual content critically, doubts interrupt: If he’s the one who can reply this fashion, why hasn’t he? If he can reply “far above” what I can ask or assume, why hasn’t he answered what I’ve already requested, already thought? I’ve been in a position to pray many fantastic issues that by no means occurred. Unanswered prayers edit the textual content: “Now to him who is commonly unable to do the modest belongings you assume and request . . .”
Little doubts like these can sting the center to loss of life, forsaking prayers far much less triumphant. The salvation of a prodigal son, the therapeutic of a dying mom, the secure supply of your first baby — he answered in a different way from the way you prayed. How do you bow the knee and start, “To you who’re in a position to do much more abundantly than all I can ask or assume”?
Perhaps your suspicions seep deeper. You doubt not his energy however his coronary heart. Not “to him who’s ready to do much more abundantly than all that we ask or assume” — however “to him who received’t.” When Christ was on earth, a leper knelt earlier than him, saying, “Lord, if you’ll, you can also make me clear.” You’ve prayed that manner earlier than. he can if he actually needs to. However does he need to? Christ’s reply to that leper appears totally different from his reply to you: “I’ll; be clear” (Matthew 8:2–3).
I hope to encourage you (and myself) to hope to this God of considerable functionality. Irrespective of your questions or disappointments, Paul is praying (and directing us to hope) to this God, the one God. In different phrases, let God be true and our doubts the liar. Allow us to look extra intently collectively at this God to whom Paul lifts our eyes. I hope to persuade us each to hope to this God this new 12 months.
The God Who Is In a position
Now to him who is in a position . . .
His is the dominion and the ability and the glory without end. He’s the one “who is in a position.” His are the sources. His is the power to do at all times and solely as he pleases on earth and in heaven. If he doesn’t reply as we ask, it’s by no means as a result of he lacks.
Discover, coronary heart too gradual to consider, that Paul directs us to the God of limitless potential — whereas he writes from jail. His God can grant any request, although he is aware of properly sufficient that each request isn’t granted. However for Paul, unanswered prayer no extra cancels confidence in God’s energy than a bitter soul complaining within the shade kills the solar. We faint earlier than the silent heavens, not as a result of God is unable, however as a result of we’re too unwise to know why his silence is a mercy.
“Our God can accomplish far greater than each one in all our tallest prayers.”
The power of God is a go-to enchantment within the Epistles. To the Romans: “Now to him who is in a position to strengthen you” (Romans 16:25). To Jewish Christians: “Now to him who is in a position to maintain you from stumbling and to current you innocent earlier than the presence of his glory with nice pleasure” (Jude 24). To the Corinthians: “God is in a position to make all grace abound to you, in order that having all sufficiency in all issues always, chances are you’ll abound in each good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8).
Unbelief doesn’t cry out to this God. Doubt doesn’t know his title. Understanding this, Jesus requested two blind males, “Do you consider that I’m ready to do that?” The god of half-hearted, storm-tossed prayers is usually prepared, typically ready. How our prayer life may awake had been Jesus to interrupt us with the identical query: “Do you consider I’m able to do that?” How our religion may rise had been we to reply, “Sure, Lord,” alongside the blind males — those who had been healed in line with their religion (Matthew 9:27–29).
To Do Extra Than You Suppose
. . . to do much more abundantly than all that we ask or assume . . .
Paul’s God isn’t solely the In a position One, however the In a position One who solutions higher than we will ask and even assume to ask. What we convey ourselves to ask for is a lake; what we will assume to ask for is an ocean; God soars far above each. We will translate the Greek phrase for “much more abundantly” as “fairly past all measure, the very best type of comparability possible.” Our God can accomplish far greater than all our tallest prayers.
For over a month now, my son has requested me and my spouse (nearly nightly) whether or not we’re going to his birthday celebration. Right here is the supreme request he can think about: a birthday celebration, with all the identical individuals who have been at his different birthday events, with cake and ice cream at an indoor park. He goes to mattress interested by this occasion. It’s the supreme pleasure of his little thoughts. He asks us, reminds us, importunately. He can consider nothing greater.
Like son, like father. How typically do I pray, “Lord, keep in mind to return to my birthday celebration!” It’s a good request, however my coronary heart towards my son far exceeds going to his birthday celebration. I need to safe issues for him that he doesn’t but know to hope for, wonders that he would brush apart if positioned subsequent to a Paw Patrol cake. I plead for him to have a brand new coronary heart, for forgiveness of sins, for a godly partner, for a purposeful life now and everlasting life to return — however what are these to a three-year-old?
God himself teaches us many good requests. However it’s nonetheless true that “we have no idea what to hope for as we ought” (Romans 8:26). We have no idea what’s greatest. Our God isn’t so bothered. He plans to reply his youngsters far above what we may ever ask or assume — even when his solutions battle with what we did ask for.
Proof
With unanswered prayers gnawing at our coronary heart, why can we belief that he’ll reply us above and past what we will ever ask or assume? As a result of he already has. This seems the one simply conclusion once we think about all of the proof already given in Ephesians. Paul presents us as previously lifeless in trespasses and sins, following the course of this age, filled with disobedience and kids of wrath. Once we didn’t assume to hope or repent, he made us alive along with Christ. Our passage in full:
Now to him who is ready to do much more abundantly than all that we ask or assume, in line with the ability at work inside us, to him be glory within the church and in Christ Jesus all through all generations, without end and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20–21)
To think about God’s energy already at work inside Christians is to aim to wrap our arms across the base of a mountain. Paul prayed for supernatural knowledge and revelation to start to know “what’s the immeasurable greatness of his energy towards us who consider” (Ephesians 1:19). To do far above all we may ever ask is a continuation of his goodness towards us, not the initiation of it.
You by no means, of your self, thought to express regret, but he answered. You by no means conceived of everlasting life, but he secured it anyway. You by no means knew the horror of that phrase hell, the glory of that phrase grace, the surprise of that phrase gospel, the life in that title Jesus, but whereas the twisted prayer of your lifeless coronary heart was for extra of this world, sin, and insurrection, he answered you with heaven, his Spirit, his Son, and himself.
Consider
Might we not sail any extra prayers on the leaky vessel and tough waves of doubt. The God of Paul is our God: the One Who Is In a position to do much more abundantly than we will ever ask or assume. A few of us have no idea him by this monicker. Let Spurgeon confront us:
If you happen to consider in prayer in any respect, count on God to listen to you. If you don’t count on, you’ll not have. God won’t hear you except you consider He’ll hear you; however should you consider He’ll, He will probably be pretty much as good as your religion. He won’t ever will let you assume higher of Him than He’s. (Autobiography, 1:25)
He will probably be pretty much as good as your religion. He won’t ever will let you assume higher of him than he’s. Once you pray, hear Jesus ask you, “Do you consider I can do that?” Rouse your religion to aim the not possible this 12 months: outpray God’s goodness. Attempt to ask and assume greater than he can reply and see how he meets your confidence in him with surprising blessing that bows you in humble worship and lifts your voice to name out to others: “Now to him who solutions above and past what we will ever assume to ask . . .”
