Now 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 NIV
These two verses conclude Paul’s prayer for the Ephesian church. And in them, he prayed that God would be glorified in the church and in Christ Jesus. That God would be glorified today, in the years to come, and throughout eternity.
In this passage, Paul described God as one “who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.” And he does this through “his power that is at work within us.” God can certainly perform miracles that would astound us. But I do not believe that is what Paul is referring to here. Instead, it is what God can do in my life and in the life of his church.
It is through God’s power that I was born anew into the life of Christ. And his power continues to work in my life, helping me grow and develop in Christlikeness. His power enables me to do what I cannot do for myself.
God is also at work within his church. Earlier in this letter, Paul described what Christ had done in bringing Jews and Gentiles together, making one new humanity out of them (Eph. 2:11-22). That was something unimaginable to both Jews and Gentiles. But he brought about peace between them. And he can do the same today, joining together peoples from all cultures, backgrounds, and walks of life, uniting us together into the body of Christ.
And his power at work within us will enable us to stand our ground against the spiritual forces of darkness that oppose us (Eph. 6:10-17). To stand our ground and emerge victorious.
Like Paul, I pray that the eyes of our hearts might be enlightened so that we might know his incomparably great power for us who believe (Eph. 1:18-19). His power that is “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.“