Call to me, and I will answer you. I will tell you of great things, things beyond what you can imagine, things you could never have known. Jeremiah 33:3 (VOICE)
As a child, I would tell ghost stories. I’d hide behind the sofa with my cousin, of the same age as me, and make up vivid tales about ghoulish creatures. In the process, I scared myself so much I’d be frightened to go to bed.
Most of us are inclined to use our imaginations for creating horrors. We visualize and worry about accidents or natural disasters occurring in our lives.
Yet, God tells us to imagine not only good things, but the great things he can do for us.
This is how Jeremiah begins the message given to him from God to the people in Jerusalem. The people had been under siege by the Babylonians. Their houses had been destroyed, men and women slaughtered and others taken off into exile. An eerie silence would have spread over the city.
The people were living the horrors we only imagine can happen.
I have never been to a war zone. However, I see pictures on television of towns, like in Syria, where buildings are reduced to rubble, and streets are impassable and empty.
It’s hard to envisage cities like Aleppo teeming with vibrant life again. Or the Syrian people returning to happy, content lives and living in peace again.
Like Aleppo, how could the people of Jerusalem possibly imagine anything good would come—that their city would be rebuilt, that they would ever again live in security and peace?
Yet, God said even if they picture these things, he would do far greater. All the people had to do was call on him and he would answer.
Likewise, we are to think of the great things God can do for us. Not only that, but we are to ask him to do the things beyond which we can dream of.
It’s important to believe in God’s ability.
We must realize God can do much more than we ask.
Most times, I approach God asking for him to answer what I think is possible, not the impossible. I go to him with a mindset that if I ask him to do a small thing, then he is more likely to answer my request.
This is no way to approach God.
Don’t limit God’s power to the extent of your own ability or imagination. God’s capability far exceeds what we think is possible.
Tweet ThisHow can our heavenly Father give to us abundantly if we don’t ask him? He is always ready to answer our appeals. We need to be bold in our asking.
There is no special formula to our requests. Instead, we simply need to ask beyond what we can imagine.
Read
Reflect
What requests to God have you made recently, how can you make your asks bigger?
What limiting beliefs do you have about what God can do?
What good things are you going to imagine God can do in your personal life, in your family, at work, in your community, or for your country? Not because your are going to imagine the widely ridiculous but because God is able.
Respond
Heavenly Father, nothing is too hard for you. I have a big ask. This is what I need in my life right now:___________________. I believe you are able to do far greater things than I can imagine. As a good and perfect Father I know you will give me first-rate gifts. Amen.
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Linking up with Crystal Storms at #HeartEncouragement, Susan Mead at #DanceWithJesus and Dawn Klinge at #GraceandTruth
Wonderful post! We can often think our imaginations are so creative and yet, our God’s creativity is beyond all we can imagine. Seeing as my word of the year is “audacious”, this post spoke to my heart today. Thank you!
I pray you will be an audacious prayer this year, Joanne.
Yes to God-sized dreams and asking for what’s beyond our imagination. It truly is a scary thing to do, not knowing what God has in store. But it’s oh so much greater indeed! Thanks Rachel!
Scary, yes Jill, but thankfully He is trustworthy.
I recently watched a program about how Germany was rebuilt after Hitler. The US sent major assistance. But seeing bombed out buildings and children being put up for adoption, one little girls mother had poisoned herself, that’s not what we’re used to. You know even better than we do, being from England, the first hand stories from parents or grandparents, 9/11 was certainly enough, we need to be both careful and considerate, be on guard, but be who God wants us to be to others.
There is so much unnecessary and terrible violence in the world, so we must rely on our God even more because we know one day we will live in a far better world where there are no tears and troubles.