Exceedingly, Abundantly, Above
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Good Evening, turn with me in your bibles this evening to
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
The God who answers prayer.
PRAYER CHANGES NOTHING, GOD CHANGES EVERYTHING- Barnhouse
God changes things NOT prayer. Prayer works because of the soverign hand of God. Not because of the words you say or the promises you claim. Christian living always flows out of truth, so we dont learn to pray best by studying prayer, we learn to pray best by studying the GOD WHO ANSWERS PRAYER.
This is the message of
There are 2 prayer reports in is a prayer for understanding. is a prayer for strength. The passage we are looking at tonight is the ending of this prayer for strength.
Ephesians
For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
I pray that He may grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power in the inner man through His Spirit, and that the Messiah may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love,
may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Then our verses tonight record the closing of this prayer
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 3:
Notice how the requests of this prayer are sandwhiched between statements about God. In vereses 14-15 the writer addresses God as the Father from whome every family on Earth is named. Then in verse 20 he praises himas him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we could ask or even think.
The way this prayer is written reminds us that all true prayer is GOD CENTERED. You can never pray right without confidence that God is willing to hear and able to answer prayer. So you should begin your prayers by calling out the greatness of God, and finish your prayers by praising the greatness of God.
On too many occasions we shortcircuit our own prayers because we say AMEN too fast. The prayer shouldnt end after we have given our list of requests. Prayer should only end after you give praise to the God who answers prayer.
Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”
The goal of prayer is not only the answer you recieve, the purpose of prayer is the glory of God. We should not wait to praise God after He answers prayer, before the answer comes, in fact the text seems to teach us that before you finish the prayer, you should give praise to God because He is able to answer your prayers.
Pauls prayer for strength teaches us 2 great truths about the god who answers prayer:
God is Able to answer your BIGGEST REQUEST
God is Able to answer your BIGGEST REQUEST
(repeat)
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,
This verse teaches us that God is omnipotent. Omnipotent means God has perfect power over the created world.
“Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?
The answer is in
‘Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.
the angel tells Mary how she will give birth to a Son even though she has not been touched by a man. Answer
For nothing will be impossible with God.”
He replied, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.”
Our God is omnipotent
verse 20 teaches us 2 ways divine omnipotence works on behalf of those who are in Christ Jesus.
First Paul says the power of God is at work infintely beyond anything beyond us. Gods power is at work infinitely beyond us.
Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,
OR THINK
This is a statement about the nature, Character about the greatness of GOD. But note here that he does not mention God by name, he refers to God in terms of what God can do. He talks about Gods soverign power HE SAYS THIS IS THE GOD WHO IS ABLE!
The word able means to have the ability to act according to ones will, it is one thing to have good plans, great expoectations and lofty goals. Its another thing to have the power to accomplish your intentions, this is OUR GOD. HE DONT JUST TALK IT HE CAN DO IT!
OUR GOD IS ABLE
“And now I commit you to God and to the message of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all who are sanctified.
And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work.
2 Corinthians
now to the one who is able to keep you from stumbling and present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy, OUR GREAT GOD IS ABLE.
Gods power is not hypothetical or ceremonial, GOD IS ABLE DO THINGS WITH HIS POWER. What is God able to do
Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us—
EXCEEDINGLY AUNDANTLY ABOVE ALL THAT WE ASK
This is not just a statement about the power of God it is a statement about the goodness of God, God is onipotent but what does this God do with His almighty power?
Paul says this God will do WHAT YOU ASK. That is God hears and answers prayer.
“Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you.
GOD IS WILLING AND ABLE TO DO WHAT YOU ASK IN PRAYER
But what about those needs, goals burdens, requests, opportunities, challenges.... that get you so low you dont even know what to ask or how to ask .....
The text says He is not only able to do what you ask he is able to do WHAT YOU THINK!
This God who is omnipotentis also omniscient and the God who is able knows all and can accomplish what you cant even speak.
Take delight in the Lord,
and He will give you your heart’s desires.
God is able to do what you ask, what you think, how much of it is he able to do. The writer says that He is able to do ALL that you ask or think, He can do it ALL.
there is nothing to hard for God. there is no burden God cannot lift, there is no door God cannot open, there is no enemy God cannot defeat, there is no need God cannot meet, there is no problem God cannot solve, there is no sin god cannot forgive, and there is no CANCER that GOD CANNOT CURE!
there is NOTHING TOO HARD FOR GOD
He can do all you can ask or think
Paul wants you to know that he dont have to stress or strain to do it
IMMEASURABLY BEYOND WHAT WE CAN ASK OR THINK
NOW TO HIM WHO IS ABLE TO DO EXCEEDINGLY ABUNDANTLY ABOVE ALL THAT WE COULD ASK OR THINK
Scholars call this a SUPER SUPERLATIVE GOD IS ABLE TO INFINATELY accomplish you greatest request, your greatest expectations, your deepest desires. God is able to fix your troubled marriage and give you a ministry to other troubled couples, He can heal your body so that you can proclaim his healing power to pthers who are sick.
Our God is able to save your lost husband and make him the spiritual leader in the home. God can bring your wandering child back home and make them a missionary for the gospel of JEsus Christ.
HE is ABLE TO DO FAR MORE ABUNDANTLY THAN ALL THAT WE ASK OR THINK.