But to him that is able to do far exceedingly above all which we ask or think, according to the power which works in us,
Paul ends his prayer for God's people with praise, not with another request. He praises the God who can do more than the prayer asks. It raises two questions. How much may we expect from God? And by what standard does He give?
Beyond Words and Beyond Thoughts
One writer starts with something we all know in prayer, then turns it toward what God can do:
There are times when our minds and hearts seem enlarged, and we then ask for great things — and we think more widely than we ask. Thoughts sometimes come into our minds which we would be afraid to put into words before the throne of grace. Have you never asked, "May I expect God to do such great things for me?" Look at these words — "able to do far more abundantly." What He can do goes beyond all our words and all our thoughts. It is not a question of what we are able to do; God is making known what He is able to do. His resources are infinite.
Not "All That We Can Ask"
The wording is exact. The verse does not say all we can ask, and one writer says that is deliberate:
He does not say, above all that we can ask or think. The Holy Spirit takes particular care not to say so. Notice the difference between what we do ask and what we can ask and think. There is no limit to what we may ask, except that God is above anything we can ask of Him. And He loves to hear us asking more and more. He would train us in asking more abundantly.
Power Working In Us
The verse names the standard by which God acts: power at work inside believers. Writers link this to the earlier prayer in the letter. There, the same power worked for us:
The great thought in the first prayer is the power that worked for us. Here, it is the power that works in us. There, it was a power that worked in Christ, and raised Him from the dead, and which worked in us and raised us up with Him. Here, it is the same power, but now it works in a practical way.
People often quote this verse and leave off its closing clause:
This brings out the force of the prayer. It is not a prayer for head knowledge of the great truths of God's calling. It is a prayer that we would take hold of them ourselves and enter into them… The power works in us. God is able to do far above all that we ask, and even above all that we think of asking. He does it according to that power. How often people leave out that last clause of the verse!
Where the Limit Lies
God's resources have no limit. His power is already inside us. So if Christian life feels narrow, the limit lies somewhere else:
"According to the power at work within us, God is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think." God works in us to fill us with all the fullness of God. If we are restricted, if we are, so to speak, hampered or shackled, this cramping of spiritual life and energy is in ourselves, not in God. We cannot exhaust the stores of His grace or power.
The power is already given, so the work is not to get it but to use it:
He sets no limits to the fullness of blessing, except the fullness of God! So we can be sure that the power working in us is able to do far above all we desire or think. We have the power; we do not have to get it.
What This Does to Prayer
The verse ends a prayer and begins praise, and writers apply it directly to how boldly we come to God:
Everything God gives to Christ is yours, so I must praise Him. Can I be silent? Why not lift your voice to Him who is able to do far more abundantly above all you ask or think? We cannot expect too much.
There is also a searching side to this. Great promises meet small faith, and one writer answers that with an honest question to ourselves:
"His precious and very great promises." Are we to deduct fifty per cent from them, and think that God cannot mean as much as He says? It is not so at all. He has spoken in complete sincerity. We know very little about how deep unbelief runs in all of us… When we ask God for something, it does us real good to stop and ask ourselves: "Do I believe that God will give me what I ask for?"
Summary
- Above — God can do more than what we say to Him, and more than what we hope for without saying it. His resources have no limit.
- Above asking — the text avoids saying "all we can ask." God trains us to ask more and more, so growing requests are part of the answer.
- In us — the power that raised Christ once worked for us; now it works inside believers in a practical way.
- Not in God — we cannot use up His stores of grace; when spiritual life feels cramped, the limit is on our side, not His.
- Already ours — we have the power; we do not have to get it. So the fitting response is bold asking and praise: we cannot expect too much.