#DailyDevotion We Are The Only Limiting Factor In Our Prayers

Eph. 3::20-21 ²⁰Now to Him Who by the power working in us can do far, far more than anything we ask or imagine, ²¹to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all ages forever. Amen.

Now I have to say, this is one of my favorite passages of scripture. For one, it is terribly humbling to realize I’m not asking for in prayer nearly enough or rather that what I ask for in praying is very limited by my limited thinking. Often I hear people say one of two things concerning prayer and why they don’t pray for something. One is the don’t want to bother God with all their little stuff. He has so much to do. Why would he bother with me and my little problems? The other is God could do something that big for me but I don’t think he would. Both of course are wrong.

I do believe what we go to God our Father for in prayer will evolve over time. We will pray fewer selfish prayers (because we are trusting God to take care of us) and will be praying for others. The things we pray for will focus more perhaps on the elements of the Lord’s Prayer, in particular God’s name be hallowed, his will be done and his kingdom come. Many of the elements of Paul’s prayer that precedes these verses fit into these petitions.

Here Paul encourages us to pray because God the Father can do far, far more than anything we ask or imagine. This tells me we should not let anything we think of asking our Father for not leave our lips but rather we should just go ahead and pray in faith that he will hear us on account of Christ. Jesus himself gave us some pretty big promises concerning prayer.

Jesus says in Matt. 7, ⁷“Ask, and it will be given to you. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened for you. ⁸Anyone who asks receives; anyone who searches finds; and anyone who knocks, the door will be opened for him….¹¹Now if you, as wicked as you are, know how to give your children good gifts, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him?” In John 14 he says, ¹⁴“If you ask Me for anything in My name, I’ll do it.” In chapter 16 he says, …²³I tell you the truth, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you. ²⁴So far you haven’t asked for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive and your joy will be complete.” On top of that, if those promises from Jesus and Paul’s statement in today’s text don’t move you to open your mouth and pray, we are told by Paul that Jesus and the Holy Spirit both intercede for us to the Father for what we need to fill the desires our regenerate heart.

This passage also reminds me of what Luther wrote in the Large Catechism, “Therefore God also requires that you lament and plead such necessities and wants, not because He does not know them, but that you may kindle your heart to stronger and greater desires, and make wide and open your cloak to receive much.” As we increase our prayers and praying for what God has promised in his word we will have stronger and greater desires to receive much for as Paul says he can do more than we can ask or imagine.

Heavenly Father, by your promises to hear and answer our prayers said with faith in Jesus’ name, grant that we will pray for greater things in accordance with your will so your name may be glorified among us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

#devotion, #prayer, #LCMS, #Lutheran, #Christianity, #Jesusname,