How striking and powerful is the message of these words! Jehoash, king of Israel, thought he had done quite well when he struck the ground “three times and stopped.” To him, it seemed to be an extraordinary act of his faith, but the Lord and the prophet Elisha were deeply disappointed, because he had stopped halfway.

Yes, he did receive something; in fact, he received a great deal— exactly what he had believed God for, in the final analysis. Yet Jehoash did not receive everything that Elisha meant for him to have or that the Lord wanted to bestow on him. He missed much of the meaning of the promise, and the fullness of the blessing. He did receive more than any human could have offered, but he did not receive God’s best.

Dear believer, how sobering is the truth of this story! How important it is for us to learn to pray through our circumstances and to fully examine our hearts with God’s message to us!

Otherwise, we will never claim all the fullness of His promise or all the possibilities that believing prayer offers. A. B. SIMPSON

“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” (Ephesians 3:20–21).

In no other place does the apostle Paul use these seemingly redundant words: “immeasurably more than all.” Each word is packed with God’s infinite love and power “to do” for His praying believers. Yet there is the following limitation: “according to his power that is at work within us.” He will only do as much for us as we will allow Him to do in us. The same power that saved us, washed us with His blood, filled us with the power of His Holy Spirit, and protected us through numerous temptations will work for us to meet every emergency, every crisis, every circumstance, and every adversary. THE ALLIANCE

Scripture tells us that Abraham, “without weakening in his faith, . . . faced the fact that his body was as good as dead” (v. 19). He was not discouraged, because he was not looking at himself but at almighty God. “He did not waver . . . regarding the promise” but stood straight, not bending beneath the staggering load of God’s blessing. Instead of growing weak, his faith grew stronger, exhibiting more power, even as more difficulties became apparent. Abraham glorified God for His complete sufficiency and was “fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.”

The literal translation of this passage from the Greek expresses the thought in this way: God is not merely able but abundantly able, bountifully and generously able, with an infinite surplus of resources, and eternally able “to do what he had promised.”

He is the God of limitless resources—the only limit comes from us. Our requests, our thoughts, and our prayers are too small, and our expectations are too low. God is trying to raise our vision to a higher level, call us to have greater expectations, and thereby bring us to greater appropriation.

Shall we continue living in a way that mocks His will and denies His Word?

There is no limit to what we may ask and expect of our glorious El Shaddai—our almighty God. And there is no way for us to measure His blessing, for He is “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20).

A. B. SIMPSON

The way to find God’s treasure-house of blessing is to climb the ladder of His divine promises. Those promises are the key that opens the door to the riches of God’s grace and favor.

God wants us to ask Him for the impossible! God can do things that man cannot do. He would not be God if this were not so. That is why He has graciously made prayer a law of life. “If ye shall ask . . . I will do” (John 14:14 KJV). This inviting promise from the Lord means that He will do for us what we cannot do for ourselves; He will do for others what we cannot do for them— if we but ask Him. How little do we avail ourselves of this immense privilege!

Someone spoke this searching word at Edinburgh in 1910: “We have lost the eternal youthfulness of Christianity and have aged into calculating manhood. We seldom pray in earnest for the extraordinary, the limitless, the glorious. We seldom pray with any confidence, for any good to the realization of which we cannot imagine a way. And yet, we suppose ourselves to believe in an Infinite Father.”

The natural man calculates results. Calculations have no place in our relation with God.

That matter which has been so burdening us just now, and with which we can see no way of dealing, how are we praying about it? In anxiety, or with thanksgiving?

Worrying prayer defeats its own answer; rejoicing prayer gets through. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). Then will come the answer “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20).

The more we are cut off from human help, the greater claim we can make on Divine help. The more impossible a thing is to human or mortal power, the more at peace can we be when we look to Him for deliverance. Only those who see the invisible can do the impossible!

God will answer when to thee, Not a possibility Of deliverance seems near; It is then He will appear.

God will answer when you pray; Yea, though mountains block thy way, At His word, a way will be E’en through mountains, made for thee.

God who still divides the sea, Willingly will work for thee; God, before whom mountains fall, Promises to hear thy call.

M. E. B.

God puts Himself within our reach in His promises; and when we can say to Him, “Thou saidst,” He cannot say nay—He must do as He has said. In prayer, be sure to get your feet on a promise; it will give you purchase enough to force open the gates of heaven and to take it by force! When once you can lay hold of a promise, you have a leverage with God which enables you to count upon the fulfillment of your petition. God cannot go back from His plighted word. F. B. MEYER

“God could no more disappoint faith than He could deny Himself.” A friend gives me a check which reads: “Pay to the order of C. H. Spurgeon the sum of ten pounds.” His name is good and his bank is good, but I get nothing from his kindness until I put my own name on the back of the check. It is a very simple act but the signature cannot be dispensed with. There are many nobler names than mine, but none of these can be used instead of my own. If I wrote the Queen’s name it would not avail me . . . I must affix my own name.

Even so, each one must personally accept, adopt, and endorse the promise of God by his own individual faith, or he will derive no benefit from it. If you were to write Miltonic lines in honor of the bank, or exceed Tennyson in verses in praise of the generous benefactor, it would avail nothing. The simple, self-written name is demanded, and nothing will be accepted instead of it. We must believe the promise, each one for himself, and declare that we know it to be true, or it will bring us no blessing. CHARLES H. SPURGEON

“God is always greater than His promises; He does not only fulfill His promises, He over-fulfills them” (Ephesians 3:20).

Upon Thy Word I rest Each pilgrim day; This golden staff is best For all the way. What Jesus Christ hath spoken Cannot be broken! Upon Thy Word I rest So strong, so sure! So full of comfort blest, So sweet, so pure! The charter of salvation, Faith’s broad foundation. Upon Thy Word I stand, That cannot die; Christ seals it in my hand, He cannot lie! Thy Word that faileth never, Abideth ever. FRANCES RIDLEY HAVERGAL

Able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.

Able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.

Able to succour them that are tempted.

Able . . . to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

Able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy.

Able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

Believe ye that I am able to do this? . . . Yea, Lord. According to your faith be it unto you.

He that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.

Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?

Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works.

Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy.

Hallowed be thy name.

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people.

Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength?

I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.

I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people.

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, . . . be glory.