God Beyond All Measure

There is an Akan proverb which says, “Obi nkyere abofra (akwadaa) Nyame,” which translates into English as “one does not point out God to a child.” Little children know that there is God. Teenagers know that there is God. And adults know that there is God.

However, knowing about the existence of God is one thing; recognizing God as the Creator of heaven and earth and the only Supreme Lord worthy to be praised and worshipped, is another.

God is awesome! God is indescribable. God is love and all-powerful. In his letter to the Church at Ephesus, the Apostle Paul conveyed some aspects of his prayers for the Ephesians, including strength, power, Spirit, faith, Jesus, and love (see Ephesians 3:14-21 NIV). Touching on Jesus and love, for example, Paul prayed for Christ to dwell in their hearts and for them, through faith, to have the power to understand and appreciate “how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:16-19). In other words, no matter how hard we try and how knowledgeable we are, we cannot fully understand the love of God for us through Jesus Christ. God’s love and God’s power are beyond measure.

Paul concluded his prayer, “… 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, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21, emphasis mine).

Many of us ask for many things from God. Consider the billions of people who live on this earth and each person asking for different things from God. What have you asked from God lately? God is able to do immeasurably more than you ask.

However, in our prayers, we should make room for God’s will to be done. When God appeared to King Solomon at night and told him to ask for whatever he wanted, Solomon asked for wisdom and knowledge to govern the people of Israel. God granted that request and gave him wisdom and knowledge beyond measure, but God did more. God said that because Solomon asked for wisdom and knowledge, and not wealth, riches, honor, death of his enemies, or long life, He would also give him wealth, riches and honor “such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have.” (2 Chronicles 1:7-12. See also 1 Kings 3:1-15). A lesson learned is that even though God invites all of us to ask for whatever we want, we should be wise in what we ask from Him and He will surprise us beyond measure. A person who is praying for his or her enemies to die should not be surprised when those enemies dance happily at his or her funeral!

God’s ability to do immeasurably more is not limited to what we ask; it extends to what we imagine. Many of us have wild and vivid imaginations. Even as we are reading this article, some of us are busy imagining things - some good, some not so good, and some bad. For example, our fears – real and imagined – have caused some people to make bad decisions, including withholding good deeds when it is within their power or authority to do so. Some who refuse to visit their villages or hometowns, or refuse to give money to elderly family members who are in desperate need of money and other assistance, or refuse to carry out other extended family responsibilities, may be unduly motivated by fear, and have allowed their negative imaginations to get the better part of them.

On the positive side, this world has progressed partly due to the vivid imaginations of some visionaries. Our imaginations, visions, thoughts, dreams, aspirations, and expectations are countless, huge, and diverse. Yet, no matter how wide or deep or high or numerous our imaginations and so forth may be, God is able to do immeasurably more than all of us can collectively imagine. Therefore, we should not let the sky be our limit. With God, there is a whole lot of world beyond the sky.

God propels us up in the sky to soar on wings like eagles, and so we should not act like chickens. The meekness we strive to demonstrate is by no means a sign of weakness. Paul’s prayer affirms that there is a measure of God’s power that is at work in each Christian and within the Church (see Ephesians 3:20). By faith through our Lord Jesus Christ, we, as individual believers and as the Church, are empowered to tap into that power and co-operate with God to work His will in us. Christians, praying for ourselves and for one another, privately and in Churches, fellowships, alliances, cells, partnerships, and linked by the Holy Spirit and Power of God, can move God to act on our behalf beyond all measure.

Prayer is the key. May God grant us the grace to seek Him daily through our prayers.

Dr. Daniel Gyebi, Attorney-at-Law, Texas, U.S.A., and Founder, PrayerHouse Ministry, Kumasi, Ghana.

PrayerHouse Ministry is dedicated to providing a quiet facility for Christians to pray individually by themselves without any intermediary priest, pastor or any other person. This is a free service. No money is demanded or accepted. One facility is located at Kyerekrom / Fumesua, near Building and Road Research Institute Offices, one mile off the Kumasi-Accra Road and next to a house called Grace Castle. If you are interested, please contact Agnes at 054-7498653. Another is located at Kantinkyiren, at the junction of Kantinkyiren and Konkori, off the Kumasi-Obuasi Road, branching left at Trede junction. Contact Kwadwo at 020-8768461 / 0246-989413.