Dare to Ask

Scripture: Now glory be to God, who by his mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of—infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes. Ephesians 3:20

Thoughts: This means God is able. He is able to do more than I can imagine by His mighty power within me.

Application: Pastor Curtis challenged us on July 29, 2015 to pray Ephesians 1:15-23 daily for the next six weeks. As I started that challenge, I felt God encouraging me to personalize it. I felt like I needed to write it out in my prayer journal and expand it. I have a hard time praying for myself, so this was a challenge. By the end of the first week, I had written out the majority of Ephesians and was praying it when I got to Ephesians 3:20. I was intrigued by the wording of the translation I was reading. I read from memory regardless of the version the New King James Version of the Bible when I read or hear scriptures I know. Because the current translation I am using has Hebrew and Greek words, I often can not do that. It feels like I’m reading scripture for the first time. As I read “I would ever dare to ask or even dream of”, I just kept thinking dare to ask, dare to dream. It’s not that he will do more than I will ask He wants to do more than I would dare to ask for.

I thought about the contrast of my two daughters. My oldest has no problem asking for anything from me. Even if the answer will be “no” she will dare to ask. Because of this she’s got a lot “yes” that looks like favor because she makes request. My youngest daughter, on the other hand, heard “no” one too many times when our sister would ask for things. She knew that “no meant no”. Because her sister had heard no, the younger didn’t even ask. Or at least that’s what she tells me now. I am teaching her to ask for things and really go after what she wants. She didn’t receive because she didn’t dare to ask. And if she dreamed, she didn’t verbalize it.

I realize I’m not good at asking for help from people either. But I know God is able because He has been faithful all of my life, when I have dared to ask and dreamed to do. But, what am I not daring to ask God for? What am I missing out on because I’m not daring to dream? God is willing and God is able and He is looking for the opportunity to show off.

Prayer – Lord, I know that You are able and I know that you’re willing. Let me not miss out on any more opportunities or blessings because I’m not daring to ask or even daring to dream that You would want me, that You would use me, that You would have favor on me, or that You would provide for me. Let me not just believe big things for others but to know that You are able to do it for me also.