Do we pray often (or ever) we this phrase in mind? Is our faith and our prayer life lacking?
I wanna make this post biblically accurate and not venture into the land of name it and claim it – poor theology that leads us to believe that God is a bank lender or santa clause or the easter bunny or even the tooth fairy. God is the Sovereign Giver of all things to us for our good and His glory. We need to take from his hand both blessing and trial (look at Job and Joseph). But, how can we incorporate this type of praying into our prayer life?
Far More Abundantly…this phrase comes from Ephesians 3:20-21 – let me start a few verses earlier and walk us through it – since proof texting is not a fundamental way to understand Scripture.
Eph 3:14-21
The main point of this passage is that Paul is asking on behalf of the saints of the church at Ephesus that they would be filled with the power, love, and fullness of God through faith in the One (Christ) who worked for them and the power of the one who lives in them (the Spirit). He wants us to dwell every day in ALL the fullness of God. Do you or I live that way every day? I’ll speak for myself – I don’t. Sin. Yup – that’s the answer to all that ails us. Sin: pride, weak faith, laziness, unrepentant heart, those are some sins that keep me from knowing the fullness of God dwelling in me.
Then Paul goes on to confirm with the church at Ephesus that God is so big He can do (according to His plans – See other parts of Scripture) far more abundantly than anything we ask for – FOR HIS GLORY. We may think we are asking big prayers – but are we really?
1. Do we ask God for a ministry but really doubt in the back of our minds that He can grant us that?
2. Do we ask God to save loved ones and bring them to Himself – but then give up when we don’t see that happen in the first week of our praying.
3. Do we ask God for healing for ourselves or others and then faint at the weariness of the burden of praying endless prayers when the illness continues, the baby dies, the womb stays empty.
4. Do we fail at continued prayer when there are financial troubles and we see no way out but blame shifting and going deeper in debt.
5. Do we pray for husbands or wives that we don’t have yet and grumble to the God when our ring finger remains empty for one more holiday, New Years, or someone else’s wedding shower.
Last year during the month of May, I started praying this passage of Scripture for my husband in a situation we were facing. During that same month He began answering that prayer. And even when times are hard because of that answer to prayer – I must remember that our God can do FAR MORE ABUNDANTLY than we can ever ask or imagine – ALL FOR HIS GLORY.
And when we pray like this we must be ready TO ACCEPT HIS ANSWER – not our answer. His answer may look completely different than ours – but are we willing to lay aside what we thought would be the way God would work and live fully in His answer.
Another study I’m working through is going through Psalm 119 verse by verse, many of them have to do with the Word of God and its truth in our lives. But, what is the basic idea of the Psalms in general – the writer’s crying out to God. Do you cry out to God with a hope and a knowledge that He will answer. Do you wait in unhindered anticipation that He will answer – and He will answer in such a way that will be FAR MORE ABUNDANTLY than we could ever ask or imagine?
All (his answer is always for this reason) for His glory for now and forever.
Pray on. Live in Faith. Dwell in Fullness.
