His Incomparably Great Power

This morning I was reading from Paul’s words to the Ephesians. In the first chapter starting with verse 17 he shares with them what he prays for on their behalf. The final item in his list is this:

“I pray also that the eyes of your may be enlightened in order that you may know…his incomparably great power for us who believe.”

His further description of this power particularly caught my eye. He continues:

“That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead.”

So Paul is praying that the Ephesians will know the same type of power that God used to raise Jesus from the dead. That would be some incredible power. No wonder he refers to it as “incomparably great.” As I reflected on this I realized that I do not pray in this manner. I do not pray that God will demonstrate his power in my life or the lives of those around me to this degree. I think I have come to expect God to work in small, quiet ways, which he often does. But I don’t look for him to demonstrate the kind of power he showed in the resurrection. But why shouldn’t I pray this way? Paul certainly felt no hesitation to pray this for the Ephesian believers and we can use that same outpouring of his power today as much as they could then.

In my prayers in the coming weeks I want to focus on the things Paul asks for here and pray them specifically for certain individuals and situations. I like it when God points me to specific ways to pray like this. But even more I feel recharged in this reminder that I can pray for God to help me and others know his amazing, incomparable power in the midst of our lives now. What might God do if we pray like this, expecting him to answer such prayers?

P.S. I was able to replace the door knob yesterday and I think I got the light switch working this evening. Yahoo!