Ephesians 3:20-21
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The verse highlights that our prayers and thoughts are actually the limits God's power exceeds, not the boundaries it works within. It’s an incredible reminder that God’s capacity for blessing us is far grander than our human ability to even conceive of it.
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, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul has just finished a profound prayer for the Ephesians, asking God to strengthen them inwardly by His Spirit and to fill them with His fullness. This verse marks the transition from prayer to praise, celebrating God's incredible capacity to act far beyond human requests and imagination. It's a powerful reminder that our prayers, while important, don't limit God's ability, especially given the immense power He's already unleashed within believers.
Ever felt like your prayers hit a ceiling? Or that your imagination for God's goodness just couldn't quite grasp it all? You're not alone, and Paul is here to blow the roof off those limitations.
Paul uses a powerful phrase here: 'exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.' This isn't just saying God can do a lot; it's emphasizing that His capacity is beyond our wildest dreams.
Beyond Asking:
Our prayers are often shaped by our limited experiences and understanding. We ask for what we know we need or what we can conceive of needing. But God's plans and provisions stretch far beyond our immediate requests.
Beyond Thinking:
Our thoughts and imaginations, while broader than our prayers, are still confined by our human perspective. We can't fully grasp the depth of God's wisdom, His strategies, or the incredible future He has planned. 'Exceeding abundantly' means God's ability and willingness to act surpasses even our most profound thoughts.
Paul doesn't just point to God's immense power out there; he connects it directly to something happening inside us. What is this incredible power, and how does it relate to God's ability?
The phrase 'according to the power that worketh in us' is key. It's not that our power is immense, but that God's power is actively at work within believers.
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The Indwelling Spirit:
This power is primarily attributed to the Holy Spirit, who indwells believers. The Spirit is the very 'power of God' (as seen in parallels like Colossians 1:29) that begins, sustains, and will complete the work of God in our lives.
A Guarantee and a Capacity:
This indwelling power is both a guarantee of God's future work and a present capacity for living a godly life. It's the energy that enables us to overcome sin, to love others, and to persevere in faith. Because God's power is already at work within us, we can have confidence that He is able to do far more than we can ask or think, using this very power in and through us.
Understand the original words
dynamin · Greek Noun
Divine energy or enablement that operates effectively within the believer. It is the irresistible and transformative operation of God that produces spiritual life and effects His purposes.
doxa · Greek Noun
In a biblical context, glory (doxa) refers to the manifest presence, splendor, majesty, and honor of God. It signifies the outward expression of His internal attributes and divine radiance.
ekklēsia · Greek Noun
The term refers to the assembly or congregation of believers who have been called out by God. It signifies the universal body of Christ, the people of God, or a local fellowship of believers established through faith in Jesus.
Christos · Greek Noun
A central messianic title, 'Christ' (Christos) is the Greek translation of the Hebrew 'Messiah' ('Anointed One'). It signifies Jesus as the one set apart and sent by God to fulfill His redemptive purposes as Prophet, Priest, and King.
aiōn · Greek Noun
This phrase denotes the eternal nature of God and His kingdom. It signifies a duration of time that is infinite, spanning both the present age and the unending age to come.
amēn · Hebrew Adverb
A Hebrew term used to signify agreement, affirmation, or certainty. It expresses the desire for God's truth to be established and acknowledged, functioning as a seal of faith on prayer or praise.
This verse echoes the immense power of God by declaring His inability to perform anything too hard for Him, directly supporting the idea in Ephesians 3:20 that God can do 'far more abundantly than all that we ask or think'.
2 Corinthians 9:8This passage speaks of God's ability to 'make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work,' which parallels the abundant, overflowing power mentioned in Ephesians 3:20.
Colossians 1:29Paul connects his striving and working in Christ to the 'power that powerfully works within me,' similar to how Ephesians 3:20 ties God's ability to do abundantly to the 'power at work within us'.
Philippians 4:7The promise that the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard our hearts and minds is a testament to God's capacity to do far more than we can conceive, aligning with the thought in Ephesians 3:20.
Romans 11:33The exclamation of the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God highlights His incomprehensible greatness and ability, reinforcing the profound truth in Ephesians 3:20 about God's boundless power.
bengelEphesians 3:20: "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,"
Ephesians 3:20 . Ὑπὲρ πάντα ) πάντα is governed by ποιῆσαι , whence ὑπὲρ is put adverbially, as presently after ὑπερεκπερισσοῦ , and ὑπερλίαν , 2 Corinthians 11:5 ; ὑπὲρ may however be construed with πάντα : comp. ch. Ephesians 1:22 , where ὑπὲρ πάντα means, that which is above all: this [His exaltation as Head of the Church] is above all exaltation,…
gillEphesians 3:20: "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,"
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly,.... This is the conclusion of the apostle's prayer, in which the power of God is celebrated, a perfection which is essential unto God, and is very large and extensive; it reaches to all things, to every thing that he wills, which is his actual or ordinative power; and to more things than he has wil…
The verse highlights that our prayers and thoughts are actually the limits God's power exceeds, not the boundaries it works within. It’s an incredible reminder that God’s capacity for blessing us is far grander than our human ability to even conceive of it.
Paul has just finished a profound prayer for the Ephesians, asking God to strengthen them inwardly by His Spirit and to fill them with His fullness. This verse marks the transition from prayer to praise, celebrating God's incredible capacity to act far beyond human requests and imagination. It's a powerful reminder that our prayers, while important, don't limit God's ability, especially given the immense power He's already unleashed within believers.
Paul has just finished a profound prayer for the Ephesians, asking God to strengthen them inwardly by His Spirit and to fill them with His fullness. This verse marks the transition from prayer to praise, celebrating God's incredible capacity to act far beyond human requests and imagination. It's a powerful reminder that our prayers, while important, don't limit God's ability, especially given the immense power He's already unleashed within believers.
"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, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." — The verse highlights that our prayers and thoughts are actually the limits God's power exceeds, not the boundaries it works within. It’s an incredible reminder that God’s capacity for blessing us i…
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Last reviewed October 2026
