Thursday, March 22, 2018
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Well, we've been wrong. Yeah, our science books tell us that there are 100 billion galaxies. We look at our Milky Way, and we see the one galaxy we're in. We're all excited because we've been able to get an unmanned spacecraft to the edge of our solar system! Hey, Hey!!! Our solar system is just one small part of our one galaxy, and they're still counting galaxies. They did say there were 100 billion. Now, with the Hubble telescope, they're saying there may be as many as two trillion galaxies. Don't even try to comprehend what God has put out there.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft, and I want to have A Word With You today about "Super-Sized Praying."
You remember a few years ago when the fast food restaurants would ask if you wanted to "super-size" your fries or your drink - you know, go for something bigger. Probably that ended up super-sizing us. Don't you think it's time we "super-size" the way we pray - in light of the size of the One we're praying to? He's the God who invites us to "come boldly to the throne of grace" (Hebrews 4:16). That's the throne from which billions of galaxies are governed! Do you pray like that?
Paul understood the size of the One who we're with when we pray and the size of what we should pray for. In our word for today from the Word of God, from Ephesians 3 beginning in verse 14, Paul captures the wonder of it all when he says, "I kneel before the Father, from whom the whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power . . . I pray that you . . . may have power . . . to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ . . . and to know this love that surpasses knowledge."
Man! Immeasurable love. Incomparable power. All poured out on those who belong to Him. Wow! Well, in this next verse, Ephesians 3:20, Paul says our God is the One "who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to the power that is at work within us." There are many times I think we should "3:20" our prayer, Ephesians 3:20 that is; enlarging our request in light of this promise that God can do "immeasurably more." I wonder if God's listening as we come to Him with our little man-sized requests and saying, "Would you like Me to super-size that?"
I think we forget Who we're with when we pray. I was reminded again of how big our God really is when I heard the slight correction of the number of galaxies from billions to trillions! Your Heavenly Father is the One who controls them all, and prayer brings you into His holy, omnipotent presence.
It’s no wonder we are encouraged to "come boldly". Not because we deserve to be there, but because Jesus has removed every obstacle to being there by shedding His blood for us. So why do we come so timidly? When is the last time you trusted God for something so big only God could do it? He's told us He wants to show us "great and mighty things you do not know" (Jeremiah 33:3).
God has so much more He wants to do for us than we're willing to believe Him for. We're under-living because we're under-praying and under-trusting. Before you begin to praise Him and petition Him in prayer, take just a moment to remember how big your God really is. You won't pray the same. You'll be humbled. You'll be amazed, and you'll be bold.
The universe is bigger than we thought it was, and the God who made all those galaxies in a moment is much bigger than we think He is. It's time we super-size our praying!