God’s Abundance

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

(Ephesians 3:20; 2:18; Hebrews 4:16; James 1:5–6; Hebrews 11:6; 1 John 5:14–15)

RUMINATE

“We don’t drift into spiritual life; we do not drift into disciplined prayer. We do not grow in prayer unless we plan to pray. That means we must self-consciously set aside time to do nothing but pray. What we actually do reflects our highest priorities. That means that we can proclaim our commitment to prayer until the cows come home, but unless we actually pray, our actions disown our words.” —D. A. Carson

“In prayer we do not ‘prevail on’ God, but rather prevail on ourselves to submit to God. True, the language of ‘prevailing on God’ is often used in regard to prayer, but it is an accommodation to human weakness.” —John Stott

From Day Nineteen, Spiritual Exercises, Sacred Margins: On the Spiritual Life of a Writer.