This Verse Will Prevent You from Missing God’s Blessing

There are times when you don’t need to change anything you believe or are doing. Sometimes it’s just not God’s will to give you that blessing right now. However, there are other times when God wants to bless you with something but you are missing it.

By studying Ephesians 3:20-21, we can identify 3 possible reasons you might be missing a blessing from God.

1. You Might Be Missing God’s Blessing Because Your Expectations Are Too Low

Ephesians 3:20-21, “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think . . .

What if the real issue wasn’t that you were asking too much of God, but rather, you are asking too little? What if God hasn’t blessed you with what you want simply because he wants something even better for you than you currently want for yourself? What if you keep missing God’s good gifts, not because he’s withholding his favor, but rather, you aren’t even noticing his favor because it’s greater than you expected?

In C.S. Lewis’ book, The Horse and His Boy, the main character, Shasta, meets a mysterious character. Shasta tells him all about the troubles he’s had: how he had to run for his life because a lion was chasing him, how he had a terrifying night at the tombs, how ferocious beasts stalked him at the night in the desert, and how they were almost out of energy just before their journey was over while another lion than suddenly chased them. Lewis writes:

I do not call you unfortunate,” said the Large Voice.

“Don’t you think it was bad luck to meet so many lions?” said Shasta.

“There was only one lion,” said the Voice.

“What on earth do you mean? I’ve just told you there were at least two the first night, and –”

“There was only one: but he was swift of foot.”

“How do you know?”

“I was the lion.” And as Shasta gaped with open mouth and said nothing, the Voice continued, “I was the lion who forced you to join with Aravis. I was the cat who comforted you among the houses of the dead. I was the lion who drove the jackals from you while you slept. I was the lion who gave the horses the new strength of fear for the last mile so that you could reach King Lune in time. And I was the lion you do not remember who pushed the boat in which you lay, a child near death, so that it came to shore where a man sat, wakeful at midnight, to receive you.”

Sometimes we need God to open our eyes so we can reinterpret the ways we’ve misunderstood our own stories. Sometimes we miss the blessings God is sending because they come in forms we did not expect.

So God may be saying no to all those singles in the past because they lacked the biblical qualities God wants for your future spouse. Or maybe God hasn’t given you that career because he knows you will be happier somewhere else. Whatever the case may be, always remember that truth that God is “able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think.”

2. You Might Be Missing God’s Blessing Because You’re Not Using God’s Power Within You

Ephesians 3:20-21, “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 . . .”

After hearing God can do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, we might be tempted to believe all we need to do is wait and hope. However, notice the incredible implications of this little phrase, “according to the power at work within us.”

If God is able to do such amazing things that we can’t even imagine them, why on earth is Paul now highlighting God’s incredible power at work within us? I believe Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, highlights this point so that we realize we have an important part to play in God’s story.

Sometimes we miss the blessings God wants us to have because we are not using the power God has put inside of us to receive these blessings he is sending. God has blessed the farmer with crops that grow and nourish the body, but the farmer must still till, plant, and harvest. Likewise, God is the one who must bless you with a spouse, with a career, and with whatever else you desire from him. And yet, the way he will bring forth these blessings into your life will still involve your efforts.

God saves us by grace, through faith, and not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9). And yet, the reason he gives us faith and grace is so that when we are saved and receive his power, we might then produce good works for him, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

Colossians 1:29 says, “For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.” Paul is toiling for God’s will, but he is using the power God has put within him.

Therefore, when God is really blessing you with something, he will also be giving you the power to work for that blessing.

3. You Might Be Missing God’s Blessing Because You’re Not Focused on the Glory of God

Ephesians 3:20-21, “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.”

Even when God blesses us with something good, it’s actually meant to bring him glory. Our good is tied to God’s glory. When we are blessed, he is glorified. And when he is glorified through us, we are blessed. It’s all intertwined (Jeremiah 32:39).

We miss God’s blessings, however, when we are not prepared to use them for his glory. 1 Peter 4:10-11 states, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace . . . in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ.”

When you are prepared to use the blessing for God’s glory, that’s when God is ready to give you that blessing if it’s in his will to do so.