April 22, 2025
- Dutch Sheets
- 25 minutes ago
- 5 min read
Our Prayers Release God’s Power
Over the past weekend, I watched a portion of The Bible, a television miniseries released in 2013. In this production, they included the account of Peter healing a lame man in Acts 3. I was fascinated, as I always am when meditating on this event. Here was a man, Peter, who had denied knowing Jesus just a few weeks prior - and doing so while cursing, mind you - being used to perform one of the greatest miracles of healing in Scripture. Peter’s words stuck out to me, as they always do, “…such as I have, give I thee…” (Acts 3:6). What, exactly, did Peter have?
Ephesians 3:20-21 gives us the answer:
“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)
Today you’re going to get Professor Sheets, so put on your student hat and follow along with me:
The phrase “exceeding abundantly beyond” is difficult to translate. It is actually one compound word in the Greek text: huperekperissou.(1) This word isn’t found in older Greek literature but shows up in biblical writings. In other words, a new word was coined to describe God’s power. The root word, perissos(2) in and of itself, means “superabundant;” in other words, more than abundant, or more than enough. The added prefix huper,(3) however, gives the word another “beyond” or “more than.” His power is even “more than more than enough!”
If that weren’t enough (pun intended), ek(4) added to the word strengthens it further! This new word, huperekperissou, literally means: “superabundantly…with more added to that,” or “beyond more than enough,” or perhaps “more than more than enough, and more!”
It is so important that we understand the incredible strength of this word. Here is the breakdown once more, using W. E. Vines Greek Dictionary to help us:
perissos, the basic word which conveys the sense of an amount beyond the normal measure; in other words, abundantly;
huper added to it (huperperissos), strengthens it to “exceeding abundantly.” (This form of the word is used only in Mark 7:37 (NASB), where it describes the astonishment of people at Jesus’ healing of a deaf and dumb man using His saliva. The Passion Translation translates the word in this verse as “beyond measure.”)
adding ek to the word - huperekperissou - strengthens it still further, requiring yet another modifier to indicate its superiority above even “exceedingly abundant.”
Translating this word is almost impossible. It would literally be something along the lines of “very extremely extraordinarily abundant!” Bullinger, in his Companion Bible, simply translates it as ‘infinitely.’”(5) Well, that works!
In this verse, Paul, describing God’s infinite power at work in us, essentially 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!
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 infinitely 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. In this passage, Wuest mentions this infinite, superabundant power of God, but also makes clear that it operates in and through us:
“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)
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 this power was released from him.
Our Prayers Release This Power
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.” 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”; Wuest and the Amplified Bible capture the present-tense meaning of the verb - continuous action. This is why Elijah, when producing the provision of rain, this verse in James is referencing, continued to pray and release the power of God - seven times. His prayers continued to release power each time he prayed.
I am certainly not implying that we can release God’s power at our will and pleasure. We must be led by the Spirit in this regard, as Peter and Elijah were, and release His power as He directs us. Nevertheless, we must do so, commanding His Kingdom will and power into situations, just as Jesus told us to do in Matthew 16:18-19. The entire point of James’ passage, in fact, is that Elijah was human, just as we are, yet was able to do this. If he can do it, James says, we can!
In my book, Intercessory Prayer, I tell the story of going weekly, for a year, to pray for a young girl in a coma. Each time I went, I prayed for an hour or so. After a year, she was completely healed. I am confident that 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 situation, know that His power is being released. No word from Him returns void, without accomplishing its purpose (Isaiah 55:11). Each time you declare that the power and authority of satan is broken over your family member, his hold weakens. Every time you declare the power of the Cross over an unbeliever, more of that power flows to them. Don’t stop! Persevere!
Pray with me:
Father, we thank You for Your desire to save and deliver. You desire to open the eyes of unbelievers, setting them free from satan’s control. We thank You for Your grace, mercy, and love. This past weekend, we celebrated Your great redemption of us through Christ. The result of this redemption was that we became the temple of the Holy Spirit once again; He and His infinite power abides in us. Teach us to operate in/release this power, as Peter did at Beautiful Gate (Acts 3:2). Teach us to do as Elijah did, releasing Your great power until the rain comes.
We pray for those who do not yet know You. We bind every strategy of satan and his demons who hold them captive, and we release Holy Spirit’s power to save and deliver them. Rain down Your infinite power on our nation and the nations of the earth. Demonstrate Your love and power with great miracles. Awaken multitudes to Your redemption, and free them from spiritual darkness. All of this we pray in Christ’s name. Amen.
Our decree:
We decree that the power of God is being released through us, destroying strongholds of darkness, and setting captives 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).