Praying Beyond Our Limits – Sermon Handout (Aug 2, 2026)

 

Praying Beyond Our Limits: What It Means

God’s Power Gives Me Confidence To Pray Beyond My Limitations

August 2, 2026

 

Ephesians 3:20  KJV 20 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,

 

Take a moment to consider some of the most important and most impossible prayers you asked God to do.

 

Salvation

 

There is a strong argument to be made, that praying for salvation is the most important and most impossible prayer you have ever asked of God.

Think about what you were asking God to do:

• Save you from His own wrath
• Save you from suffering eternal torment in Hell
• Pay for, and erase a sin debt that was impossible for you to do on your own

 

If God chose not to answer your prayer of salvation, you would be hopeless and lost. You would be either awaiting eternal torment and separation from God, or already experiencing it right now.

With this in mind, read Eph 3:20

Ephesians 3:20  KJV 20 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,

 

When you prayed to God for salvation, you were praying to a God who is able to do:

Ephesians 3:20  KJV 20 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,

 

How Did God’s Response Prove the Truth of Eph 3:20?

 

You asked for forgiveness of sin

God sent His Son to take your place and become sin for you

 

You were doomed to endure eternal torment, while being separated from God

God sent His Son into the world to become human, take your place, and make it possible for you to be born again. This time into God’s family as an heir with Jesus.

You were doomed to Hell for eternity

God has changed your destination and promised you a home in His Kingdom, where there will be no more sin, sickness, suffering, sadness, no more separation.

You needed to be forgiven of sin

God paid your debt, placed His Spirit inside you, to equip you to be HOLY.

 

With this in mind, read Eph 3:20

Ephesians 3:20  KJV 20 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,

 

The Key Word: “Able”

 

The next key word in this verse is the word “able.”

“Now unto Him that is ABLE…”

 

What does it mean that God is “ABLE”?

It means He has the power to do it. It does not mean is required to do it, but He is able to do it.

Consider this illustration:

If you had a serious disease or diagnosis, and I had a medication you could mix in a glass of water and it is proven to heal half the people who drink it. Would you take the medication? Even if it only helped half the people who took it?

If you had the same diagnosis but there was a surgeon who was able to do perform a unique surgery that healed 100% of the people he treated, would you go ask him for the surgery?

 

What if that same surgeon did not choose to heal every person who came to him. Would you still go ask Him to do the surgery for you?

 

What if, that same surgeon was known to sometimes say “Not at this time, but you are welcome to ask me again later. In fact, you are welcome to ask me everyday if you want.”

• keep in mind, He is the only person able to help you; he might say not now, but you can ask him as often as you want
• All you need is for him to say yes once… how often would you ask him to heal you?

Ephesians 3:20  KJV 20 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,

What Has Changed in Your Prayers?

 

What has changed in your prayers?

• Do you pray more now than you did just after you were saved?
• Do you pray for bigger things from God now than you did after becoming a Christian?
• Do you invest time and energy into asking God to fix, change, help, or deliver you from situations that are beyond your control?

 

Do you pray beyond your limits?

Paul confidently stated that God is able to do exceeding, abundantly, above all we ask or think. Paul was showing that we must learn to pray beyond our limits.

 

Pray Beyond Your Physical Limitations One great privilege we have in prayer, is to go to God and ask for something beyond our physical limitations. That is the point of prayer. God is able to do what we unable to do. Decide today to pray for things beyond your physical limitations.

Pray Beyond the Limitations of Your Understanding Paul said God is able to do exceeding, abundantly, above all that we ask or think. He is saying we are limited to what we even know to ask for; but God is able to perform above our own understanding. When the prayer seems too big to fixed, turned around, or made better, pray to God. Decide today to pray beyond the limitations of your understanding

Pray Beyond the Limitations of Your Faith God has no limitations on His power. He is able to do exceeding, abundantly, above all we ask or think. When your own faith says “you can pray but it won’t matter” — pray anyway. But in your prayer confess your lack of faith and ask God to strengthen your faith. Decide today to pray beyond the limitations of your faith

What Did Paul Pray For?

 

Ephesians 3:14–19  KJV 14–19 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

 

Before Paul praises God as being able to do exceeding, abundant, above all we ask or think, he first, asked God for something big – the spiritual maturity of the believers in Ephesus.

• Paul asked God to strengthen them, by the Spirit, in the inner man.
• He asked that Christ would dwell in their hearts by faith, and that His dwelling in them would result in their being rooted and grounded in love.
• Paul asked God to make them comprehend the greatness of God and to know the love of Christ (which passeth all understanding).

Lastly, Paul asked God that they would be filled with all the fulness of God.

 

This is spiritual maturity and growth. Nothing Paul said in his prayer was used for exaggeration or decoration. Every word was a purposeful prayer for their spiritual growth.

• Paul was asking God to take these people, and turn them into His image bearers who would reflect God in the world around them and draw others to the Kingdom of God.
• After he prayed that prayer, Paul went on to praise God for being able to do this and more.
• As Paul wrote this letter to the church, it is possible he imagined them reading it and saying: “yea that would be nice but it just won’t happen.” So Paul, subtly rebukes their lack of faith by saying

Ephesians 3:20  KJV 20 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,

Paul prayed beyond human limitations,

• beyond the limitations of our own understanding, and
• beyond the limitations of faith.

He believed God was able to do far more than Paul could ever ask or even imagine.

 

Paul prayed for spiritual life and growth in the church. What do you pray for?

 

Practice What We Preach

 

Write down the names of people you want God to save, or people you want God to bring back to Him in a relationship and to get them connected to a local church.

 

Write down something in your own life you need God to deliver you from, or help you through that is limiting your own spiritual life.

Examples:

• Discouraged
• Anxious
• Angry
• Lost My Faith
• Lost My Joy
• Overwhelmed
• Unsure / Insecure
• Lost my faithfulness
• Distracted

 

 

Place them in an envelope and seal it:

• If you are at SLBC place them in the glass bowl.
• If you are not at SLBC you can
  • (1) mail them to SLBC and we will add them to the others.
  • (2) place it in a visible area of your home where you remember to pray for it daily.

During August 2026, the SLBC family will use these as visual reminders of our prayers, and each week we will dedicate a portion of the service to praying over them as a church family.