God does more than we ask. You may have experienced this as you reached out to the Lord. The Lord is generous and may answer our prayers differently and more significantly than expected. Psalm 36:5Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. [1]
As Jesus was ministering, a government official came to Him in desperation. His son was dying, and he traveled many miles to reach out to Jesus. He begged Jesus to come to Capernaum to heal his son. John 4:50 Then Jesus told him, “Go back home. Your son will live!” And the man believed what Jesus said and started home. [2]
You can only imagine how this time with Jesus affected him. He came in desperation and now was returning home hoping to see his son healed. In God’s generosity, the impact of this healing would be much more significant than just healing his son.
A Healed Son Leads the Household to Faith
The government official went to Jesus to heal his son, but the Lord would bring a greater miracle into their home: the gift of faith. John 4:51 While the man was on his way, some of his servants met him with the news that his son was alive and well. 52 He asked them when the boy had begun to get better, and they replied, “Yesterday afternoon at one o’clock his fever suddenly disappeared!” 53 Then the father realized that that was the very time Jesus had told him, “Your son will live.” And he and his entire household believed in Jesus.[3]
God healed the son with a miracle, but the greater miracle was that the whole household believed. As one man stepped out in faith, his action blessed others around him.
God’s Purposes Are Greater Than Ours
Isaiah 55: 8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. [4]
The Lord is all-knowing, and in His vastness, He does things that we don’t pray for or know about. The Lord knew it was important to heal the official’s son, but it was more important for the household to come to faith. Ephesians 3:20 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.[5]
We all have things we wish the Lord would change. Sometimes, we think too small or desire things that are not the best for us. We can ask God for possible things, but what if we prayed that He would do something beyond our imagination? Can we leave room for God to work miracles?
To learn how God does more than we ask, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/healing-a-son
[1-5] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Tyndale House Publishers.