Verse of the Day - Ephesians 3:20

Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.
~ Ephesians 3:20 (NLT)

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These words from Paul in verse 20 come on the heels of this prayer:

I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. ~ Ephesians 3:14-19 (NLT)

After asking God for all of this spiritual fullness for the Ephesian church, he acknowledges that God is able to do even more than this, in and through us, in His mighty power -- for His glory!

. . . even more than we would dare to ask for . . .

Why is it that we sometimes think we should already be spiritual towers of strength just because we're believers in Jesus? Why do we think that maybe because we've been saved for many years, that we should have "arrived" at some pinnacle of spiritual maturity? Why aren't we asking God for spiritual riches...understanding, knowledge, wisdom? Are we too proud? Or too ignorant, thinking it's somehow not right to ask?

James 1:5 says to ask God for wisdom if you lack it. Jesus said in Luke 11:9 to ask, seek and knock on God's door. Solomon, as a young king (2 Chronicles 1:10), acknowledged his amateur status, and asked God for wisdom and knowledge, because he knew he didn't have it, and he was gonna need it, big-time!

Paul prayed another prayer earlier in Ephesians 1:16-20 that may sound too good to be true, also, but remember -- God can do this in your life!...

I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.

God's storehouse of spiritual riches are always full, yet always emptying. He longs to do mighty things in our hearts and minds, increasing our understanding of Him, and strengthening our faith to stand tall with Jesus. Ask God, and believe He can do it. And be humble to accept the spiritual training that goes along with increased spiritual riches. Because although I'm sure He dips His sceptre to some and they are granted spiritual riches immediately, often these riches are gained by experience...by living and breathing day after day by faith in God.

And never underestimate what God can do in your spiritual life when you choose to focus on His master agenda, rather than focusing solely on yourself. Being a Christian is never just for yourself alone, yet many function like this. They have Jesus in their heart, and they are just good with that--period. But where is the bigger picture? Where is ambassadorship? Where is the servant's heart (which means we serve others)?

God's got big plans for His people and this world! He's in the process of turning Satan on his head, and rescuing those who are enslaved by sin. It's a God-sized job that He is fully capable of reaching. But we are His ambassadors. We are His hands and feet. He wants us to dream big God dreams, and to ask Him for whatever we need to accomplish His dreams.

So, are you just sittin' on your thumbs, lamenting that you're not on board with God, not making a difference, not growing up in your faith? Or are you asking for the spiritual things you need to be a vital part of God's dream team?

Love,
Joelene