Ephesians 3:14-21 is a prayer shared by the Apostle Paul. My study Bible says that Paul wrote this as an acknowledgement of all that God is doing in the lives of believers. Paul asks God for the believers at Ephesus to be strengthened with power through His Spirit. This is just the beginning of all that Paul asks for the people of Ephesus. I believe that Paul is asking the same for each of us. He asks God for gifts for us and he asks God that we grasp “how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.”
This passage goes on and on about the incredible gifts, love, and power of God. After all of this, the Word tells us that God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or can imagine! The power in this prayer comes not from the one praying it, but from the one to whom he is praying. The might in this prayer is not confined to the people of Ephesus. The One to whom Paul is praying was not just a God of that time, but is the God of this time and the God of all time.
God Desires Relationship with Us.
Paul is not preaching and praying that God is some type of magical vending machine of goodies that we can access whenever we want something and ignore when we are confronted with difficult teachings that cause us to deny ourselves, pick up our crosses and follow Jesus. No! Paul is praying about the goodness of God. He is praying about the loving generosity of God. He is praying a prayer that reinforces the truth that God desires to be in relationship with each of us. God sent His Son to be our Savior. God then sent His Holy Spirit to dwell within each and every believer.
We cannot deny God’s desire to be in relationship with us after reading just this one passage, let alone the entire Bible. The One True God is not some distant being who created the universe and then sits idly by as an observer. God is intensely interested and concerned with us and for us. God desires to strengthen us with power through the Spirit to live lives in connection with Him in ways that bring glory to God.
If you read the Westminster Catechism, you start with Question #1: What is the chief end of man? Answer #1: Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever. What a wonderful place to start. God wants us to glorify Him and to enjoy him forever. This “forever” is not just our earthly lifetime, but for all of eternity. This is, indeed, immeasurably more than we can imagine.
Immeasurably More than We Can Imagine.
How do we go about living this life that glorifies God? We can only do this by the grace of God. Grace is another gift that God gives us that is immeasurably beyond all we can imagine. We do this by opening our heart to the calling that God has put there.
Trust that God created you, specifically you as an individual, because God wanted to. He has a purpose for you. If you haven’t felt confident that you have a purpose, be confident God has given you one. This is immeasurably more than you have dared to imagine.
Many feel lost or less than. Please know that God’s love for you is indeed wide, long, high, and deep and poured out on you, and He gives immeasurably more than you can imagine. Do not listen to those who tell you otherwise, even or especially if you are speaking these lies to yourself.
We may feel overwhelmed with our responsibilities or our circumstances. God’s grace is sufficient when we feel like we are going under for the third time. Call out to Him and he will answer you with life saving grace and in ways immeasurably more than we can imagine.
You may feel fearful about your current circumstances or an uncertain future. God will pour out peace on your heart that will be immeasurably more than you can imagine.
Grief may be taking hold of you from a loss of a loved one, a job, a home, or a relationship. God will walk with you and never forsake you, and never leave you alone. Ask God for solace and He will give immeasurably more than you can imagine.
Are you awakening to a stirring in your heart to reach out to others in their time of need and aren’t certain you have the skills to give. Ask and you will be given immeasurably more than you can imagine.
Where Do We Go From Here?
No matter your preconceived thoughts about yourself, where you live, your education, your age, your economic condition, or age, race, or any other group you or society may place you in, God is with you, ready to give immeasurably more than you can imagine. His grace is sufficient for today and tomorrow and all the tomorrows to come. Even for eternity.
Let us glorify Him by letting go and letting God. When I taught in a Catholic school in California in the mid 1990’s our principal, Sister Mary Jane Clark, would say this all of the time, “let go and let God.” I have to admit that I really didn’t get it back then. Perhaps it was that I had less life experience or less faith back then, but I just didn’t understand.
Now it is 25 years later, a lot of life later, and a lot of growth in my relationship with God. I am still a “work as if everything depends on you, but pray as if everything depends on God” kind of girl. I believe we need to make good choices and be good stewards of our time, talent, and treasure, doing all we can to the glory of God.
But I also know that God does give immeasurably more that we can imagine, and these are gifts we cannot earn. We need to open our hearts and minds to all that God gives. After all, God gave us the matchless gift of Jesus Christ, His Son, son that whoever believes in Him will have everlasting life…. most definitely immeasurably more than we can ever imagine.
