When you pray, what do you think will happen? What are your expectations about how God might answer your requests? Perhaps you don’t really feel like you’re in a position to really ask Him anything, given that you’re a sinner. Given that fact, do you expect Him to answer grudgingly? Perhaps you think you have to pry blessings out of the hand of our parsimonious God. Or worse, do you subconsciously create a “plan B” just in case He doesn’t respond in the manner you expect?
Addition vs Multiplication
The New Testament actually gives us a pretty explicit set of expectations on this subject. Paul tells us about it in his letter to the Ephesians:
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us… Ephesians 3:20 ESV
Beautiful words, aren’t they? An abundant response. Not stingy. Not an answer designed to force us to just “get by.” Paul is really telling us that we can expect an answer that will (at least eventually) blow our socks off. Of course, Paul is NOT telling us that God acts like a Heavenly butler who gives us exactly what we want precisely when we want it. There’s no promise of material wealth or prosperity here. Paul is simply pointing out that God’s response to our requests is often one that we couldn’t predict, informed by the Almighty’s ability to see around the bend, who understands our deepest needs and weaknesses, and instinctively responds in an extravagant way. Just look at how God provided salvation for us through Jesus. Talk about exceeding our expectations!
This weekend, we’ll be discussing how we can live a life of multiplication rather than simply a life of addition. We’ll get a glimpse of how we can live a spiritually abundant life, one that we all long for.
If you are feeling like your life is out of your control, or that God’s answers to your prayers have NOT exceeded your expectations, come find out how faith in our generous God can transform your life. Join us at our contemporary service on Saturday at 5:00 pm, and/or the traditional worship services on Sunday at 8:15 am and 10:50 am. Your kids won’t want to miss our “Kingdom Quest” pre-school and student gatherings, and you’ll enjoy making new friends and learning more about your faith in our expanded array of adult bible study classes, all held at 9:30 am on Sunday.
This weekend come learn how placing our faith and fears in the hands of Jesus can lessen our stress load and bring deep transformation in our hearts. Celebrate with us the depth of Jesus’ love for us and find out how you can live a life of significance, filled with meaning. Discover how following Jesus can help you and your family navigate around the minefields of life.
Come get a fresh jolt of spiritual energy at Trinity Downtown. It will make a tremendous difference in your life.