Immeasurably More…
Several years ago, I began a prayer.
It was taught to me by a prayer book that I was reading at the time. Honestly, I have read so many books on prayer, I cannot even remember which book it was.
I love to learn through these older and wiser mentors that have walked the well-worn path of faith.
Elisabeth Elliot, Catherine Marshall, and of course, our biblical examples—Paul, Peter, John, King David, Joseph, Moses…
The prayers that I wrote, were labeled "Immeasurably More” prayers.
The apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 3:20…
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us..”
With this scripture in mind, I sat down and prayed for God to stir my heart over things to pray over.
Often, I will grab my Bible and just sit and read and ask Him to lead me in ways to pray. Scriptures to pray.
God’s Word is the ULTIMATE prayer.
When we combine His Word with prayer, the Heavens open and His Kingdom comes…
‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come,
your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven…” Matthew 6:9
As I sat down to write these prayers, some felt silly and just a LOT.
However, we serve a MIGHTY God who delights in our pursuit of Him. He delights in childlike faith.
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Hebrews 11:6
Many, or actually MOST of these prayers that I wrote down were concerning loved ones.
After writing out these prayers, I tucked them away in my prayer journal.
I would look at them every day and pray them.
I prayed them so much, that I began to keep them on my phone notes to always have them with me.
It became exciting lifting these prayers to Jesus. I had a giddy childlike faith and unwavering HOPE.
Several months passed and I began to see answers to some of these prayers.
I was absolutely amazed!
Little by little, my faith began to grow deeper and deeper.
It isn’t that God had to answer these prayers for me to believe, but my faith, as small as it was, was watered daily by prayer and time with Him in His Word.
As a matter of fact, some of those prayers changed and I began to pray differently.
I will be honest, some of the biggest prayers, I was tempted to water down. To make not so……miraculous.
However, although the temptation was strong at times to give up and/or change and water down certain parts to those prayers, I didn’t.
I kept praying them. Knowing, that if God did not answer, He would change my heart and desires.
A couple of years into this practice, I have seen miracles.
Many are personal and have to do with my kids and loved ones that I am not privy to share.
Some of these loved ones have NO idea I had prayed these things over them.
But God!!
He heard those prayers, day after day, night after night…
He watched my small, mustard seed faith, begin to grow in the soil of His Word and His Faithfulness.
Why in the world would I ever believe that God was unable to something miraculous??
He is the CREATOR OF ALL THINGS-ELOHIM.
He is ALPHA AND OMEGA…THE BEGINNING AND THE END.
He is GOD ALMIGHTY-EL SHADDAI.
He is GOD WHO SEES-EL ROI.
We often limit God with our very small thinking and our very small expectations of what He is willing and oh so able to do!
If you are struggling with faith, struggling with belief that He can heal, or save, or answer your hardest and longest prayer…
Read about Jesus.
Read miracles of Jesus in the New Testament.
Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written. John 21:25
We all love to hear stories of others about things God has done, miraculous things! Yet, for some reason, we don’t believe He can or He will for us.
We do not expect miracles.
We do not ask for them.
We do not believe.
Or, when God does do something miraculous, often we chalk it up to coincidence.
We do not give Him credit.
God delights in our prayers.
He delights in our pursuit of Him.
He delights in a heart of belief.
The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him. Proverbs 15:8
The Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love. Psalm 147:11
I am asking you to believe.
Believe in the Power of Jesus.
Believe that He desires you to pursue Him.
To ask Him. To pray to Him. To talk to Him.
He will stir your heart how to pray…
Trust Him to do this.
Give Him time to do this. Don’t give up praying. Don’t put Him on a timeline.
His ways are higher. His timeline is different.
Ask, Pray, Seek…and relinquish those prayers day after day.
When you are tempted to water them down because they just seem like….too much.
Don’t.
So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. Hebrews 4:16
pray without ceasing,
jill
