Ephesians 3:20

Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us—

-Ephesians 3:20

Ephesians 3:20 & 21 is the doxology (glory saying) of the first half of the book of Ephesians.  The first half of Ephesians is theology: dogmatic and kerygmatic  (incontrovertible principals and preaching) that are indicative.  The second half of the book is application: ethical, didactic, and parenetic (moral principals for behavior, taught encouragingly and persuasively) that are imperative.  The proclamation of what God has done is the indicative, followed by the exhortation, which is the imperative.

Ephesians 3:14-21 has been called the highlight of the whole book, as is John chapter 17, the highlight of the Fourth Gospel: “the reader is shown that praying stands above reasoning, even theological”.(1)  

For this reason I kneel before the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named.

I pray that He may grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power in the inner man through His Spirit, and that the Messiah may dwell in your hearts through faith.

I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, and to know the Messiah’s love that surpasses knowledge, so you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us— to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Paul gives us oxymorons to describe what God does for his children, when he writes that he wants us to know Messiah’s love that surpasses all understanding.  That is an oxymoron.  It is similar to Philippians 4:7, where Paul that the peace of God surpasses all or every thought.  “Praying stands above reasoning, even theological”, says Markus Barth.  In Ephesians 3:20, Paul says that what God will do is above and beyond all that we can ask or think, which comes about the the power that works (is exerted) in us.

To him who by the power exerted in us is able to outdo superabundantly all that we ask or imagine— (Barth’s translation)

The Holy Spirit works irresistibly in the saints of God.  He is the power that creates the ability for the superabundance to take place.  Paul says that he desires that we may know all of God’s love and the Messiah’s love.  But there is so much that we cannot contain it – it is beyond our ability to contain, and yet we are to be filled to overflowing with what we can contain, always desiring more.

In similar fashion, God has answers to our prayer requests, beyond what we can think or even imagine, that takes place through his dynamic power that works in our lives, because we are Father’s children.  This brings glory in the church and Christ Jesus, through to all generations and forever.

Some have suggested that dreams are the place where God’s plans, ideas, or intentions are shown to us.  Dreaming is part of the last days ministry (Joel 2:28 & Acts 2:17).  In Psalm 126:1, the author says that, “When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream.”  In other words, what God did was so good, it was like a dream (come true!).

God has an inheritance for all his children that is like a dream come true.  There is treasure in heaven, but God is all about bringing heaven to earth now.  There are warehouses of supply in heaven that God is eager to shower down on his children on earth.

Ephesians 3:20  is a prayer, penned by Paul, from God, for Christians:

Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us.

“Now”, means now.  “To Him”, means God.  “Is able”, is timeless, referring to God’s ability.  “To do above and beyond”,  means God’s superabundant provision for the saints.  “All that we ask or think”, refers to our desires in prayer.  “According to the power”, refers to the power of God in each believers’ life, probably in and through the Holy Spirit.  “That works in us”, is the power of God working in our lives.

I like what this man wrote in The Pulpit Commentary (1889):

Two things make us strong in prayer – a deep sense of need and a strong hope of supply. Perhaps we shall hardly venture to ask some blessings, but we ought to consider that we are either to approach God on our own merits or on the merits of Christ. If we pray for blessing on our own merits, we can hardly be too stinted in our asking; but if on the merits of Christ, we ought not to disgrace God by asking little things on such a wide basis of encouragement. We have, in fact, got a carte-blanche put into our hands by Christ, saying, “Ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you.” We are to ask up to our power of thinking, and far beyond it; for “God giveth liberally and upbraideth not?” “Prove me now… if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” (T. Croskery)

Ephesians 3:20 in parallel translations from biblehub:

New International Version
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,

New Living Translation
Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

English Standard Version
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,

Berean Study Bible
Now to Him who is able to do infinitely more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us,

Berean Literal Bible
Now to the One being able to do exceedingly above all things that we ask or think, according to the power working in us,

New American Standard Bible
Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,

King James Bible
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,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us–

International Standard Version
Now to the one who can do infinitely more than all we can ask or imagine according to the power that is working among us—

NET Bible
Now to him who by the power that is working within us is able to do far beyond all that we ask or think,

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But to him who is more than almighty to do for us and is greater than what we ask or imagine, according to his power that is active in us,

GOD’S WORD® Translation
Glory belongs to God, whose power is at work in us. By this power he can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine.

New American Standard 1977
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,

Jubilee Bible 2000
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

King James 2000 Bible
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

American King James Version
Now to him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

American Standard Version
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,

Douay-Rheims Bible
Now to him who is able to do all things more abundantly than we desire or understand, according to the power that worketh in us;

Darby Bible Translation
But to him that is able to do far exceedingly above all which we ask or think, according to the power which works in us,

English Revised Version
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,

Webster’s Bible Translation
Now to him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.

Weymouth New Testament
Now to Him who, in exercise of His power that is at work within us, is able to do infinitely beyond all our highest prayers or thoughts–

World English Bible
Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

Young’s Literal Translation
and to Him who is able above all things to do exceeding abundantly what we ask or think, according to the power that is working in us,

Markus Barth’s translation:

To him who by the power exerted in us is able to outdo superabundantly all that we ask or imagine—

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1. Markus Barth, Ephesians 1-3, Anchor Bible Commentary, p. 377