"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…" — Ephesians 3:20
Most of us pray too small.
We ask for just enough. Enough strength to get through the day. Enough provision to cover the bills. Enough peace to quiet the anxiety for a little while. We carefully measure our requests so they feel reasonable, manageable, and unlikely to disappoint us if God says no.
But Scripture never invites us to pray small.
Paul doesn't say God is able to do some of what we ask. He says God is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or even imagine. The limitation is not on God's power. The limitation is usually on the size of our asking.
Going big with our prayers is not about treating God like a cosmic vending machine. It is about aligning our requests with the size of His character. It is about refusing to shrink our prayers to match our current circumstances, our past disappointments, or our limited understanding of what is possible.
When we pray small, we often reveal what we actually believe about God: that He is cautious, that resources are scarce, that His willingness is limited. Big prayers declare the opposite. They say, "You are able. You are generous. You are not constrained by what I can see."
Consider the people in Scripture who prayed large:
Hannah asked for a son when she had been barren for years—and then dedicated him to lifelong service. Jabez asked God to enlarge his territory and keep him from harm. The early church prayed for boldness while under threat, not for the threat to simply disappear. Jesus Himself taught us to pray, "Your kingdom come," a request so massive it reorders everything.
Going big does not guarantee we get exactly what we ask for in the way we expect. Sometimes God's "far more abundantly" looks different than our original request. But the act of praying large stretches our faith, reorients our hearts, and positions us to receive whatever God chooses to give—whether it is the specific thing we asked for or something better we could not yet imagine.
Small prayers keep us safe. Big prayers require trust.
So ask for the healing that seems impossible. Ask for the reconciliation that feels too far gone. Ask for the breakthrough that has been delayed for years. Ask for the provision that exceeds the need. Ask for the courage, the wisdom, the open doors, the transformation—not just for yourself, but for your family, your church, your city, and the people who don't yet know Him.
Pray as if God is actually who He says He is.
Reflection
Where have you been praying small out of fear, fatigue, or past disappointment? What would a "far more abundantly" prayer sound like in that area of your life right now?
Prayer
Father, forgive me for the ways I have prayed small. Expand my vision of who You are. Give me the courage to ask for more than I can currently imagine—not because I deserve it, but because You are able and You are good. Teach me to pray with the boldness that matches Your power and the humility that trusts Your wisdom. Do far more abundantly than all I ask or think, according to the power at work within me and in Your Church. In Jesus' name, Amen.