More Than You Can Imagine
07/31/2026
There are moments in life when we quietly put limits on what we believe God can do.
Not because we doubt He is powerful, but because we’ve lived through enough disappointment to lower our expectations. We stop praying bold prayers. We settle for survival instead of believing God can still surprise us. Without even realizing it, we begin measuring God’s ability by our past experiences instead of His limitless power.
Today’s passage reminds us that our God has never been confined by our imagination.
“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, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
- Ephesians 3:20-21 (ESV)
These verses conclude one of Paul’s most beautiful prayers. Just before this, Paul prays that believers would be strengthened by God’s Spirit, rooted in His love, and able to grasp the incredible depth, width, length, and height of Christ’s love (Ephesians 3:14-19). Only after praying that we would know Christ more deeply does he erupt into praise.
That’s important.
This isn’t a promise that God will give us everything we can dream up. It’s a declaration that God’s purposes are greater than our plans. His wisdom is higher than ours. His ability isn’t limited by our circumstances.
I’ve learned that some of God’s greatest answers to prayer didn’t look anything like what I originally asked for. At the time, I couldn’t understand why He didn’t answer the way I wanted. Looking back, I can see He wasn’t ignoring my prayer—He was answering it in a way that accomplished something far better than I could have imagined.
We often ask God to change our circumstances.
Sometimes He changes us first.
We ask Him to remove the obstacle.
Sometimes He gives us the strength to walk through it instead.
We pray for an open door.
Sometimes He closes one because there’s another we couldn’t yet see.
None of that means life is easy. It means God is always working from an eternal perspective while we’re often focused on today’s problem.
Notice another phrase: “according to the power at work within us.” The same Holy Spirit who raised Christ from the dead lives in every believer. God isn’t working from a distance. He’s actively shaping us, strengthening us, and accomplishing His purposes through surrendered lives.
And then Paul reminds us where all of this leads: “to him be glory.”
That’s the goal.
Not my comfort.
Not my reputation.
Not even my success.
His glory.
When that becomes our desire, we begin to pray differently. We trust more deeply. We hold our plans a little more loosely because we know the One who holds our future is far wiser than we are.
So whatever you’re facing today, don’t measure God’s possibilities by your limitations.
Measure them by His character.
He is still able.
Action Steps
* Ask God to reveal where you’ve unintentionally placed limits on what He can do.
* Pray one bold prayer today—not demanding your outcome, but trusting His greater purpose.
* Look back over your life and thank God for one prayer He answered differently than you expected but better than you understood at the time.
Challenge for the Day
Choose one situation you’ve been tempted to give up on. Instead of telling God how He should fix it, simply pray, “Lord, I trust You to do more than I can ask or imagine—for Your glory.”
Prayer
Father, thank You that Your power is not limited by my understanding or my circumstances. Forgive me for the times I’ve allowed disappointment to shrink my faith. Help me to trust Your wisdom even when I can’t see what You’re doing. Strengthen me through Your Spirit, remind me of Your great love, and teach me to live with confidence that You are always working for Your glory and my good. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Pastor Jeff
#LoveGod #LovePeople #FindFreedom #FindYourDesign
There are moments in life when we quietly put limits on what we believe God can do.
Not because we doubt He is powerful, but because we’ve lived through enough disappointment to lower our expectations. We stop praying bold prayers. We settle for survival instead of believing God can still surprise us. Without even realizing it, we begin measuring God’s ability by our past experiences instead of His limitless power.
Today’s passage reminds us that our God has never been confined by our imagination.
“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, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
- Ephesians 3:20-21 (ESV)
These verses conclude one of Paul’s most beautiful prayers. Just before this, Paul prays that believers would be strengthened by God’s Spirit, rooted in His love, and able to grasp the incredible depth, width, length, and height of Christ’s love (Ephesians 3:14-19). Only after praying that we would know Christ more deeply does he erupt into praise.
That’s important.
This isn’t a promise that God will give us everything we can dream up. It’s a declaration that God’s purposes are greater than our plans. His wisdom is higher than ours. His ability isn’t limited by our circumstances.
I’ve learned that some of God’s greatest answers to prayer didn’t look anything like what I originally asked for. At the time, I couldn’t understand why He didn’t answer the way I wanted. Looking back, I can see He wasn’t ignoring my prayer—He was answering it in a way that accomplished something far better than I could have imagined.
We often ask God to change our circumstances.
Sometimes He changes us first.
We ask Him to remove the obstacle.
Sometimes He gives us the strength to walk through it instead.
We pray for an open door.
Sometimes He closes one because there’s another we couldn’t yet see.
None of that means life is easy. It means God is always working from an eternal perspective while we’re often focused on today’s problem.
Notice another phrase: “according to the power at work within us.” The same Holy Spirit who raised Christ from the dead lives in every believer. God isn’t working from a distance. He’s actively shaping us, strengthening us, and accomplishing His purposes through surrendered lives.
And then Paul reminds us where all of this leads: “to him be glory.”
That’s the goal.
Not my comfort.
Not my reputation.
Not even my success.
His glory.
When that becomes our desire, we begin to pray differently. We trust more deeply. We hold our plans a little more loosely because we know the One who holds our future is far wiser than we are.
So whatever you’re facing today, don’t measure God’s possibilities by your limitations.
Measure them by His character.
He is still able.
Action Steps
* Ask God to reveal where you’ve unintentionally placed limits on what He can do.
* Pray one bold prayer today—not demanding your outcome, but trusting His greater purpose.
* Look back over your life and thank God for one prayer He answered differently than you expected but better than you understood at the time.
Challenge for the Day
Choose one situation you’ve been tempted to give up on. Instead of telling God how He should fix it, simply pray, “Lord, I trust You to do more than I can ask or imagine—for Your glory.”
Prayer
Father, thank You that Your power is not limited by my understanding or my circumstances. Forgive me for the times I’ve allowed disappointment to shrink my faith. Help me to trust Your wisdom even when I can’t see what You’re doing. Strengthen me through Your Spirit, remind me of Your great love, and teach me to live with confidence that You are always working for Your glory and my good. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Pastor Jeff
#LoveGod #LovePeople #FindFreedom #FindYourDesign
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January
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February
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