Look for His Hands

Paul has just prayed for the church in verses 14 to 19, and here he stops and praises God. God can do more than we ask and more than we can think, and the power He does it with is already working in us.

A brother in the Lord quoted the scripture Ephesians 3:20, and I committed it to memory to look it up, to see whether I was all these years understanding it properly, because it’s one of my favorites. I always used or referred to the power that works in us as faith.

The power is not faith. It is His Spirit’s might/God’s ability in me. Faith is how Christ dwells in me.

The word for able in Ephesians 3:20 is 1410: to be able. The word for power is 1411. It comes from 1410 and means ability.

Paul says the power is for us who believe. So faith receives it, and prayer asks for it. That is my reading.

So, I understand that when we make our boast, our boast is in God’s ability, which is limitless. And when we allow Him to wield this power in us, it’s for Him to be glorified.

His ability to work. The verse says “according to the power that worketh in us.” Worketh is 1754, to be active. That power can be in me, in fact, I will not deny it’s in me right now. But I used to think I could have that power standing there unless I stepped aside and gave it room to work.

Paul does not speak of yielding in this verse. The yielding comes from Romans 12:1 and 1 Thessalonians 5:19.

The yielding is my point. As I see it, God will not force it.

The power does not wait on me to start working.

Verse 12 is my part; verse 13 is His.

And the wanting is His too. “To will” is to want. God works in me the wanting and the doing.

I know what His ability is; I preach His ability.

I have had in the past a very active prayer life. I have seen the glory of God through, in, and around it. And one day I stopped, tired, maybe burnt out, I don’t know. For years I woke up at the same time but would not utter a word, although I knew what had to be done. Now, has His power left me? No. I secretly prayed in my heart for Him to help me. I have since returned to prayer. But I stood in the store yesterday and began to evaluate the intensity of the prayer life. I decided it’s mainly because “I” don’t know what to say, why I feel a lack. But I believe the key is “I”, my dependency on me.

Looking back now, I believe His power was just standing there by my own standards, but in actuality He was working, nudging me along the whole time. Had I been looking closely, I would have recognized it. Opening my mouth, figuratively, is still mine to do.

As I am writing this, I understand the intensity issue isn’t an issue at all, because what I was looking at yesterday was how it used to be under the old system of a prayer life that partly depended upon me. It now wholly depends upon Him, and so the old footprints I cannot see because I am making new strides forward.

Not knowing what to say is the very place the Spirit helps.

“Ask” is the prayer, the method God put into place to come humbly and boldly before Him.

Exceeding abundantly above is three words made into one: 5228, over, beyond; 1537, out of; and 4053, beyond measure. Think is 3539, to perceive, to understand.

What the scripture is inviting us to grab hold of is, when we bend in prayer, go expecting. Don’t limit God, because there is no might other than His.

My license is up for renewal, and we needed an affiliation with a body. The original person who affiliated with us is no longer available, and there are all kinds of implications if I didn’t get an affiliation. Now a new director decided to give the agreement a once over. A few days earlier, I had a talk with the Lord in my mind, putting Him in remembrance of some things, and I left it because I needed this. And in the interim, I decided I will hold onto God’s hands. The manager called to say she didn’t think they would sign. I responded, “They will.” I received a message it was signed.

Verse 21 is saying all His workings, all His ability, are for the return to Him. We take verse 20 and we blindly apply it to ourselves.

Putting verses 20 and 21 together, I am reminded of the scripture which in my early days I was very passionate about, Isaiah 37. The way in which Hezekiah spread the letter and began speaking to the Lord. He played up how the enemy was speaking about God, to God. It was a brilliant prayer, if you ask me, and I love God’s response.

I feel King Sennacherib’s pain for what was going to come behind that prayer.

Hezekiah didn’t argue with the enemy, and this is the key to our prayer life. We need to speak with God.

The power is there, look for His hands.

I heard someone say a long time ago that they don’t need to pray to get things. Well, if that works, I want in on that. But even if that’s true, why pass up the opportunity to talk to a friend? We dress ourselves and go visit our friend in their home, and we are happy. Same feeling, but better reward here.

And as encouragement to all who are there currently, hold onto God’s hands. He is able to restore you. And understand this season of valley: it’s a season to build without pressure, because in the stillness He is still with you.