My God Who Prays

“Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we ask or think.” - Ephesians 3:20

I had actually written out an entire devotion just a few days ago. I’ll be honest though, for some reason it was a struggle to write. I couldn’t wrap my mind around the concept or figure out what to say.

Then last night as I was falling asleep I was thinking all about the next big chapters my husband and I are facing in the coming few months. We’ve started the exciting process of purchasing our first home. For those of you that don’t know me, I tend to lean on the side of impractical dreaming. So in the case of looking at a half a dozen houses so far I’ve obviously already envisioned us in every single one. Last night as I was falling asleep I was foolishly planning the housewarming party we’ll throw once we move in. Mind you, we haven’t even made an offer or chosen a loan officer. (Insert eye roll.)

All this to say, dreaming and envisioning what our future might be like is not wrong in itself. We’ve all found ourselves daydreaming many a time. But as I was meticulously planning I realized that I needed to slow down. God spoke to me in the darkness of my room and revealed a beautiful truth about the dreams and desires of our hearts.

He brought to my memory the verse above, Ephesians 3:20. I immediately pulled out my phone and looked it up to remember the exact wording. As I did, a wave of surrendering peace washed over me. It especially did with this same verse but in the Modern English Version.

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all that we ask or imagine, according to the power that works in us, to Him be the glory…” (emphasis mine)

I paused in my party-planning dreaming and also remembered the passage that I had decided to write about for this month’s devotional assignment at Lane of Roses. In John 17:1-19 we read the intimate prayer that Jesus is having with His Heavenly Father. In this passage we see glimpses of Jesus’ dreams and desires for us as His children.

He speaks of the love He has for “...the ones you gave me from this world” (verse 6). Jesus says several times that we belong to Him and the Father (verses 6, 9, & 10). I can hear the tenderness in His voice when He almost seems to remind the Father of the protection and care He provided while on the earth (verses 11-12).

God reminded me that the dreams He’s placed in my heart are from Him. Jesus had many desires for us to be truly loved and protected. “Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are” (verse 11). In this prayer I saw that Jesus came to His Father and submitted to Him. He’s now asking me to do the same thing.

Christ knows what house we’ll be in and how that home will bring Him glory through the people we minister to. He sees my party planning and will provide when it’s time. So today, as I rewrote my devotion, I was reminded that God is in control.

If Jesus, the Son, can come before the Father and submit to His ultimate dreams and desires for us, why can’t I?

Reflection:

1. What dreams and desires do you feel that you need to submit to the Father?

2. In what ways can you imitate Jesus’ prayer in John 17 in your own prayer life?

Prayer

Father, “You see the depths of my heart and You love me the same…” You see the genuine dreams and selfish desires that daily crowd my heart. May I turn around and offer those back to You. Make me willing to submit to You as You did to Your Father and be reminded that You “can do much, much more than anything [I] can ask or think of” (Ephesians 3:20 ICB).