More Than Enough, With More Added to That
In discussing why persevering prayer is necessary when praying for our prodigals, we have looked at several issues. First, we noted that God’s power is present in us, the church, not just in heaven, and God wants to release this power from us.
Yesterday, we said that spiritual power is a measurable force, and different amounts are needed to accomplish different things. When God’s plan is to release His power from us, we must continue releasing Holy Spirit’s power until a sufficient amount has flowed to accomplish the task. We’ll continue this discussion today.
More Than Enough
Ephesians 3:20-21 are two significant verses:
“Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and forever. Amen.” (NASB)
Now, let me be somewhat technical. Trust me, it’ll be worth it. The phrase “exceeding abundantly beyond” is one compound word in the Greek text: huperekperissou.(1) This word isn’t found in older Greek literature but is in biblical writings. Through the use of this fascinating word, Holy Spirit is making an important statement. The root word, perissos,(2) in and of itself, means “superabundant;” in other words, more than abundant, more than enough. The added prefix huper,(3) however, gives the word another “beyond” or “more than.” His power is more than, more than enough! And yet, the ek(4) form of the word strengthens it further! This new word literally means: “superabundantly…with more added to that,” or “beyond more than enough,” or perhaps “more than more than enough and more!”
Phillip Varady Sr. explains it as follows (I’ll only read a portion):
“A rare double compound (huper, ek, perissou) not found in older Greek literature but is found in biblical writings, is an adverb (the only other occurrences in the New Testament are translated in 1 Thessalonians 3:10 and 5:13 as exceedingly and very highly, respectively. The only usage in the Septuagint is from Daniel 3:22, where it is used to describe the furnace into which Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were to be thrown as "exceeding" hot). Vine's lists the different forms of this adverb: perissos, the basic word which conveys the sense of an amount beyond the normal measure, or abundantly, then huperperissos, a strengthened form of the basic which signifies "exceeding abundantly," used in Mark 7:37 where it is translated "beyond measure" and finally huperekperissou which is a still further strengthened form which requires yet another modifier to indicate its superiority beyond merely "exceedingly abundant" but that would then become awkward. It would be "very extremely extraordinarily abundant" in English, which borders on incomprehensibility. It would be easier to translate it as infinitely, as Bullinger indicates in the Companion Bible.”(5)
Yes, infinitely! In this verse, Paul, describing God’s power at work in us, says, “God has enough power to do superabundantly beyond - with even more added to that! - what we can even ask or think.” Finite human language can’t describe our infinite God; He’s simply too great, too powerful, too good.
This Power Now Dwells In Us
But this isn’t the end of the verse! The last half of Ephesians 3:20 tells us God is going to do this more than more than enough through the power that works “in us.” Not just in heaven - IN US! This all-powerful God has taken up residence in us!
An Expanded Translation of the New Testament by Kenneth Wuest is the most literal and exact translation of the New Testament I know of. Wuest points out the incredible, superabundant power of God, but also makes clear that it is based on the measure of its operation in us. We must cooperate with Holy Spirit, drawing on, activating, and releasing His power:
“Now to the One who is able to do beyond all things, superabundantly beyond and over and above those things that we are asking for ourselves and considering, in the measure of the power which is operative in us . . .” (Ephesians 3:20)(6)
James 5:16 says, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (KJV). Again, Wuest gives us added insight, translating it this way: “A prayer of a righteous person is able to do much as it operates.” Notice the verse doesn’t say, “A prayer of a righteous person is able to do much because it causes God to operate.”
God certainly does operate from heaven in response to our prayers, releasing His power. At times, however, His power flows from Holy Spirit in us as we speak His words. When Peter was used to heal the lame man in Acts 3:6, he said, “Such as I HAVE, give I thee.” It was obviously Holy Spirit’s power, but it was released from him. The verse in James makes this point. The Amplified translation reads, “The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [is dynamic in its working].” Notice the word “continued”; the Amplified Bible captures the present tense meaning of the verb. This is why Elijah, when producing the provision of rain this verse in James is referring to, continued to pray and release the power of God - seven times. His prayers were releasing power each time he prayed.
I am not implying that we can release this power according to our will and pleasure. We must be led by the Spirit in this regard, and release His power as He directs us. Yet, we must do so, commanding His Kingdom authority and power into situations, and His will to be accomplished, just as Jesus told us in Matthew 16:18-19.
Yesterday, I mentioned praying a year for a girl in a coma, an hour or two each week. I am confident I was releasing the power of the Holy Spirit every time I prayed. Finally, enough power was released, and the miracle occurred.
As you declare God’s word and promises over your prodigal, His power is being released. No word from Him returns void without accomplishing its purpose (Isaiah 55:11). Each time you declare the power of satan’s hold broken over them, his hold weakens. Every time you declare the power of the Cross over them, more of it flows to them. Don’t stop! Persevere! They’re coming home!
Pray with me (I’m including some Scripture verses for you):
Father, we thank You for Your desire to save all people. You certainly desire to open the eyes of our prodigals and draw them back to You. Holy Spirit is willing to release His power from us to see them set free from satan’s control. We thank You for Your grace, mercy, and love.
We bind every strategy of satan and his demons to keep them blinded, and we release Holy Spirit’s power now to bring them to their senses, just as it did in the story of the prodigal in Scripture (2 Corinthians 4:3-6; Luke 15:17). We declare that the blood of Jesus delivers them from the power of darkness and brings them into His kingdom (Colossians 1:13). We release the power of the Holy Spirit to break strongholds of pride and wrong thought processes off of them; we destroy those arguments in Jesus’ name (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).
We ask You to send laborers to them - the appropriate people and messages - to communicate to them what is needed (Matthew 9:38). We are confident You will do this because it is Your will that they be saved (2 Peter 3:9). In Christ’s powerful name, amen.
Our decree:
We decree that the power of God is being released to our prodigals, destroying every stronghold of darkness, and setting them free.
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James Strong, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990), reference no. 5248b.
Ibid., ref. no. 4053.
Ibid., ref. no. 5228.
Ibid., ref. no. 1537.
Kenneth Wuest, The New Testament: An Expanded Translation. (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1961).