I was listening to a sermon yesterday, and the guy was talking about God’s omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence. In our terms: God’s knowledge, whereabouts, and power.
About HIS omnipresence, he said that God is not in everything, in the way that (this was the guy’s example) the version of god in Avatar is, like, god is in the trees, and in the air, and in the flowers… NO! God, just is. HE is here with me, and there with you, and HIS power doesn’t diminish because HE’s everywhere. For instance, you and I may turn a movie on and then start responding to a text. We are then, missing that part of the movie. As much as we want to convince ourselves that we can “multi-task” well, we don’t, and we can’t. We’re always going to do one thing, better than the other, we are not GOD. Now, HIS power knows no limits. That’s omnipresent, and the power and majesty that HE simply is, is omnipotence. HE’s everywhere, and all powerful continually without ever faltering, without ever growing weary or exhausted.
The guy in the sermon also talked about God’s omniscience, that is, HE knows all things. (and this is where I’m going) HE knows not just what goes on in our hearts, but HE knows everything we do. We cannot hide from the LORD. HIS knowledge of all of creation is intimate and limitless, down to the molecular level, and time isn’t a constraint for HIM. HE knows the ending from the beginning, and vice versa. HE knows every generation that has been, and every generation that will ever be. HE sees even the days allotted to our children’s, children’s, children. The depth of HIS knowledge isn’t even something we have the ability to really grasp.
With that said, the pastor speaking said that he’s praying for the next 12 generations that come from him and his bride. Of everything he said, that struck a nerve with me. This guy’s understanding of God’s Omniscience and Omnipotence was admirable.
I’ve limited my prayers so foolishly.
I’ve prayed for the salvation of each of my children and, “any child that comes from me” I’ve prayed that since 2006. I prayed that any generational sin end with me. I’ve begged God that the lineage of divorce and adultery that plagued my ex-husband’s family, end with me. I’ve prayed that the mental illness that has reared it’s head in my family, end with me. I’ve prayed that God allow me to take it on the chin, so that my children and grandchildren don’t. I’ve prayed that God be glorified in every child that comes from me. Then, in 2015, when I met my husband, my prayers changed. I felt short-sighted then. I’d have a step-son who did not come “from me”… so… I modified my prayers for our children, that any child that came in and out of the doors of our home would know Jesus, and love HIM more than anything.
Even that prayer is so very limited.
What I’m getting at, is that I’ve been short-sighted in my prayers, and it’s because I’ve not wrapped my head around what GOD is actually capable of doing. I’ve not asked an eternal all powerful God to show off, because my knowledge of HIM isn’t what I think it is.
I don’t just need to pray for the children that pass through the doors of my home, but I need to be praying for the next 12 generations! I want all the generations that come from me AND my husband to know and love Jesus. I want all of them to serve the LORD with their heart, mind, and strength. The desire of my heart is that the next 12 generations, starting with the 4 we have, lay a foundation of faith and leave a legacy of love that has an eternal impact. I pray for the healing needed from their past, I pray for their present, and I pray for their futures… because GOD is able!
I had only been praying for our children and grandchildren. But GOD, doesn’t limit HIMSELF to 2 generations…. HE is all powerful, HE is everywhere and HE knows all things.
Lord… I’m sorry. YOU are so much bigger than what I can fathom. I believe LORD, help my unbelief!
Do you limit your prayers? Do you limit them just because that’s all you understand? Or, do you limit them because that’s all you believe God can do?