There are four additional spiritual disciplines that I suggest as you pursue the fullness of Ephesians 3:20. First, praying for knowledge of the will of God is central to believing that Almighty God has the power to exceed our most outrageous imaginations. Prayer is a time in which God clarifies His purposes and empowers us to do His will. Literally, He gives us “spiritual dynamite” to annihilate any fear and doubt. In addition, He supplies us with knowledge and wisdom to succeed. In the vernacular of my African American forebears, prayer is the process of stopping by the spiritual gas station. Second, the Word of God is “a lamp unto our feet and light on our pathway.” The grand 119th Psalm extensively details the blessings and benefits of adhering to the Word of God. Spiritual persons ascribe to the timeless principles of the sacred literature of their traditions. Disciplined study of the Word of God is a non-negotiable component of developing an Ephesians 3:20 faith. Third, observing a “Daily Quiet Time” (DQT) in which one withdraws from the competing demands of life to retreat into the presence of Almighty God is significant to the process of refining a faith that stipulates God’s infinite abilities. Singing hymns, playing instruments, and listening to recordings will usher you into the presence of God as if you were in a lively corporate worship experience.
Keeping a gratitude journal, in which one record daily at least five things for which one is profoundly grateful, most definitely assures that one sees the glass as half full rather than half empty. The items need not be luxurious in nature. One can be thankful for a sunny day after a long period of rain. A couple of scoops of one’s favorite ice cream on a warm spring day may evoke joyous feelings of thanksgiving. Of course, avoiding natural disasters and accidents certainly conjure heartfelt gratitude. Nevertheless, everyone has someone and something for which he or she is grateful each day. When we appreciate the people and experiences that daily enrich our lives, we have less time to ruminate about what we do not have. Gratitude lists recalling God’s past faithfulness eradicate rising fears about today’s challenges. Recounting the timeliness and mystery with which God resolved previous dilemmas encourages us to believe steadfastly that He is indeed able to do exceedingly abundantly more than we can ask or imagine. Daily gratitude lists yield the confidence to awake each dawn and recite boldly, “This is the day that the Lord hath made. I will rejoice and be glad in it.”
In its simplest form, an Ephesians 3:20 faith enables us to trust God without wavering. We follow Abraham as he is “fully persuaded that God has the power to do what He promises.” Accordingly, Abraham receives the divine promise of Isaac, an heir. Although the feelings of euphoria that immediately followed the promise had worn off and the rudimentary biological facts were not in his favor (Abraham was one hundred years old and Sarah was ninety years old), he did not succumb to doubt or wallow in unbelief. He steadfastly maintained his faith and hope in God’s infinite abilities to grant Abraham a natural born son. Abraham respects God’s sovereign choice to fulfill the promise or not. However, Abraham does not question God’s power to do so. (Romans 4:13-21) Consequently, an Ephesians 3:20 faith maintains that Almighty God is indeed able to do more than the human mind can conceive.
Keeping a gratitude journal, in which one record daily at least five things for which one is profoundly grateful, most definitely assures that one sees the glass as half full rather than half empty. The items need not be luxurious in nature. One can be thankful for a sunny day after a long period of rain. A couple of scoops of one’s favorite ice cream on a warm spring day may evoke joyous feelings of thanksgiving. Of course, avoiding natural disasters and accidents certainly conjure heartfelt gratitude. Nevertheless, everyone has someone and something for which he or she is grateful each day. When we appreciate the people and experiences that daily enrich our lives, we have less time to ruminate about what we do not have. Gratitude lists recalling God’s past faithfulness eradicate rising fears about today’s challenges. Recounting the timeliness and mystery with which God resolved previous dilemmas encourages us to believe steadfastly that He is indeed able to do exceedingly abundantly more than we can ask or imagine. Daily gratitude lists yield the confidence to awake each dawn and recite boldly, “This is the day that the Lord hath made. I will rejoice and be glad in it.”
In its simplest form, an Ephesians 3:20 faith enables us to trust God without wavering. We follow Abraham as he is “fully persuaded that God has the power to do what He promises.” Accordingly, Abraham receives the divine promise of Isaac, an heir. Although the feelings of euphoria that immediately followed the promise had worn off and the rudimentary biological facts were not in his favor (Abraham was one hundred years old and Sarah was ninety years old), he did not succumb to doubt or wallow in unbelief. He steadfastly maintained his faith and hope in God’s infinite abilities to grant Abraham a natural born son. Abraham respects God’s sovereign choice to fulfill the promise or not. However, Abraham does not question God’s power to do so. (Romans 4:13-21) Consequently, an Ephesians 3:20 faith maintains that Almighty God is indeed able to do more than the human mind can conceive.
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