Exceedingly Above What You Asked For | Before the Doors Open

You have been praying for a small thing this week. You have been praying for the volunteer to show up. You have been praying for the in-ear mix to behave. You have been praying for the senior pastor to text back. You have been praying for the bass player who has been out sick to be ready. You have been praying for one specific person you know is going to be in the room today, to actually hear something.

Small prayers. Honest prayers. The prayers of someone who has been doing this long enough to stop praying for the world to change and started praying for the next thing in front of you to work.

Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to him be the glory in the assembly and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Paul is not saying your prayers were too small. He is saying the God you are praying to is not bounded by the size of what you asked for.

The volunteer might not show up. But the man who walked in tired and uncertain might encounter the Lord he has not heard from in months. The in-ear mix might still be hot. But the bridge of the second song might land for someone whose grief you do not know about. The pastor might not text back this week. But the day might be richer than you would have known to ask for.

The benediction is doing your imagination a favor.

May the one who is able do exceedingly abundantly above what you have been asking for this week. May he expand your small prayer into something you did not have the imagination to pray for. May the power that works in you, quietly, all week, be the power that meets the room today. And may the glory of it not need to be yours.

Go. The room is waiting. But more importantly, Jesus is already in it. I will see you tomorrow.

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