Ephesians 3:20-21
Today we finish this devotional series, Imagination: Redeemed and Redemptive. I hope that this conversation has given you new insight into the importance of the imagination for those of us who share in God’s redemptive work in the world. Moreover, I pray that what we’ve considered over these past few weeks has helped to unleash your imagination as you live and work each day. Perhaps you’ve come up with innovative ideas related to your work. Or perhaps you’ve seen a colleague or family member in a fresh way so you might encourage them in their flourishing. Or perhaps you’ve begun to engage in practices that inspire your imagination, such as talking time alone for reflection, prayer, and creativity.
 
I finish this series reminded of how much imagination can make a difference. I’m also convinced that you and I can be much more imaginative than we might suppose.
 
But I also believe there are limits to what we can imagine. Consider, for example, Ephesians 3:20-21. After praying that we might be “filled with all the fullness of God” (3:19), Paul adds this stirring benediction, “Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (3:20-21). Surely we can imagine all sorts of wonderful things about God and God’s redemptive, restorative work. Scripture inspires us to hope for a future in which God mends our broken world through Christ so that all things might flourish as God had originally intended (Ephesians 1:10). We are encouraged to use our imaginations as we reflect upon the age to come. Yet, no matter how free and expansive our imaginations might be, God “is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine” (3:20). We will never, ever be able to “out-imagine” God, so to speak.
 
Yet, be sure to notice something amazing about our passage from Ephesians. Yes, God can do far more than anything we can imagine. How? “By the power at work within us.” No doubt, “power” in this context refers to the Holy Spirit alive within us. So, the power that enables God to do more than we can ever imagine is also a power resident within us. Wow!
 
One implication of this truth is related to our imagination. Yes, we have within ourselves the ability to imagine. It’s one of God’s gifts to us. We can use this gift in a way that honors God and contributes to God’s mission. But our creative ability isn’t something we exercise all by ourselves. Rather, the Spirit of God energizes our imaginations, helping us to envision what we cannot see, and guiding us to visualize what we would miss if left alone. In other words, the very power that enables God to exceed our imaginations is the power that inspires our imaginations.
 
Before I began this series on redemptive imagination, I often prayed for God’s wisdom, almost daily, and sometimes several times a day. But until recently, I never prayed specifically for God to inspire my imagination. Now, I’m quite sure God did that very thing at times even though I hadn’t asked. But I also believe there is value in asking specifically for God to stir up my imaginative capacity. So I am now praying in ways I had not prayed before. I’ll end this devotion with an example of one of my recent prayers.
 
As we grow in the exercise of our imaginations, may we always remember that God is able to do far more than we could ever imagine. Yes, there are limits to our imaginative capacities. Yet may we also remember that the power that enables God to do more than we could ever imagine resides within us. The very Spirit of God will move in and through our imaginations to help us share in God’s redemptive work in this world, whether we’re at work or at home, in worship or in our neighborhoods. May our imaginations be set free to share more fully and fruitfully in God’s mission in the world.
 
Gracious God, thank you for all of your gifts. Today I thank you, especially for the gift of imagination. Thank you for helping me to see in my mind what I cannot see with my eyes. Thank you for inspiring me to envision your future. Thank you for helping me to see how I might share in your work in the world.
 
Today, Lord, I ask you to inspire my imagination once again. Give me new vision as I work. Help me to see how I might share in new ways in your redemptive mission. I ask also for the ability to see the people in my life as you see them. May I imagine by your grace who they are becoming, so I can be part of your work in them.
 
Gracious God, in a day when so much in our world is terribly broken, help me to see through my imagination what you are doing and how I might participate. Give me a fresh vision for your church and how I might be part of a community living out your redemptive mission in the world.
 
May I always remember, Lord, that you are able to do far more than I could ever imagine by your power at work within me. And may I live each day as if this were really true! Amen.
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Luke 11:1-4
Luke 11 begins with a simple description of Jesus at prayer: “One day Jesus was praying in a certain place.” (v. 1). It’s likely that Jesus was praying by Himself. Luke is clear that Jesus “often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” (5:16). After Jesus finished praying, “one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.’” John the Baptist did as was common among Jewish teachers at that time: teach his followers certain prayers that they could use in their personal communication with God. It’s likely that the unidentified disciple who asked Jesus to teach how to pray wanted specific instructions, including the best words and phrases to say. Jesus obliged by giving His disciples a prayer that is short enough to be easily memorized. This prayer is a shorter version of what we call the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13)
Before we examine the words that Jesus taught His disciples, though, it’s worth noting that He was already teaching them how to pray by His personal example. Surely all of the disciples of Jesus were familiar with their Master’s pattern of taking time to pray, often going out into the countryside alone so He could communicate freely and intimately with his Heavenly Father. On at least one occasion, Jesus “went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God” (Luke 6:12). (Don’t you wish you could have eavesdropped on that prayer?!). One of the things Jesus’s closest followers knew about Him was that He was deeply committed to regular communication with God through prayer.
You may have learned to pray from a Bible study on prayer, from praying the Psalms, from reading a book on prayer, or heard a good sermon on prayer that taught and inspired you. No doubt, all of this helped you to learn to pray. But I expect that you also learned to pray by following the example of others. Perhaps you listened as your parents or grandparents prayed when you were young. Or maybe you imitated the example of your Sunday School teachers, youth leaders, and pastors as they prayed. Perhaps you didn’t even hear the words someone was praying, but you watched them closely. I remember those who taught me to pray by their example. I think of my Sunday School teachers, my high advisor Bill, my pastor Felix Liu. My parents were deeply prayerful people who encouraged me to pray.
John remembers how, when he was young, his father would come into his bedroom after John was supposedly asleep. His father would kneel by John’s bed, put his hands on the cover over John’s feet, and pray silently for his son. John loved those moments so much he would often try to stay awake just to experience his father’s silent prayers. It’s no wonder that, as an adult, John is a man of regular prayer.
Before we focus closely on the words Jesus used to teach His disciples to pray, I think it’s important to emphasize that prayer, like faith, is often “caught” more than “taught.” We learn by watching, listening, and imitating. Thus, if we want to learn how to pray from Jesus, then we should pay close attention to His own practice. Luke gives us plenty to go on in the following passages: Luke 3:21-22; 6:12; 9:18, 28; 10:21-22; 22:39-46. The main takeaway from these is that Jesus prayed often. In many cases finding a place of quiet and solitude where He could communicate without interruption to His Father in Heaven. If such a practice of prayer was crucial for the Son of God, it is surely something we need in our own lives.
I’d like to encourage you to consider how you are teaching others to pray through your example. You may never give a lesson, write a devotion, or preach a sermon on prayer. But if you pray with others, they will learn from you. We all have the opportunity to model prayer for others. This is especially true and particularly important for those of us who are in relationship with younger people, for parents, grandparents, godparents, aunts and uncles, or mentors. If you’re already praying with the people in whose life you have a major influence, that’s wonderful. If you’re not, perhaps you should might consider doing so. It’s never too late to start.
 
Gracious Father, teach me to pray! Help me set aside time, preferably alone and quiet, for prayer. Help me to listen to Your still, small voice. Help me also to model a life of prayer to those in our lives who are younger. Amen.

Luke 11:1-4, 9-13
Today’s passage in the Gospel of Luke focuses on how to pray. This passage is among the most famous in the entire Gospel of Luke. The disciples ask Jesus for instruction in prayer. As is obvious from their reference to John, this was not an unusual request to make of a first-century spiritual leader. Jesus responds with a prayer so memorable, it’s been repeated ever since. We know from the Didache that Christians were being instructed to say it in the first century. In the 21st century, many churches recite it every single time the people gather for worship.
This isn’t all Jesus says about prayer, of course. He goes on to remind us that God is even more gracious than we are. We would grudgingly give a friend bread in a time of need (Luke 11:5-8) and we would more than grudgingly give good things to our children because we love them (Luke 11:9-13) Multiply that by the infinite goodness of God, the Father, Jesus says, and we see how ready He is to give when we ask, seek, and knock.
Now, whether we get exactly what we pray for is another matter entirely. If we ask, seek, and knock, we will receive, find, and walk through the open door, Jesus says. But as He goes on, it becomes clear that what we are chiefly going to get in return is not a precise answer to prayer, but the Holy Spirit. Sometimes the Spirit may work in our lives in ways we understand and have prayed very specifically for. At other times, seemingly most of time, at least for me, the Holy Spirit’s work can be mysterious and even painful.
When I find myself in those places where I cannot see the Holy Spirit at work (where all the asking, seeking, and knocking feel like I am pounding on closed doors and my voice is going no higher than the ceiling), I often turn to the Psalms, but I also turn to the Lord’s Prayer. I don’t know what to ask for in those moments, but I know that Jesus told me what I should pray for to advance His Kingdom. Most especially, I know that He has told me to pray each day for the bread I need for that day. Not all the other days to come. Just this day.
It’s funny, isn’t it, that learning is (usually) different from praying, but both of them are best pursued, even in our darkest moments, by focusing first on Jesus Christ and seeing what happens next.
Gracious teach me to pray! Amen.

Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. (Acts 20:32)
 
When we enter a group, we quickly become aware of the culture of that group. How they talk, what they talk about, what they do to gain approval within that group—all these unspoken rules constitute the culture of the group. Sometimes, we happily assimilate into the group because we embrace the culture. But sometimes, we may inadvertently accept a culture that doesn't truly resonate with us just to fit in.
 
The culture of a group is governed by the core values embraced by that group. "Core values" are upheld by businesses and churches alike because they serve as the benchmark for decision-making and guiding principles when dealing with issues. We need to establish and apply them clearly. However, closely examining and evaluating these core values is also essential, which is often overlooked.
 
If we carefully consider, we'll find that the values emphasized by a group often arise to correct or balance out other values that are felt to be lacking or problematic. For example, a child from a particularly frugal family might feel a need that wasn't fulfilled and might consciously overspend on their own children. Similarly, a generation coming from a church that emphasizes assimilation might emphasize individual distinctiveness in the next generation. Whether it's thriftiness or extravagance, assimilation or independence, these values themselves need to be regulated. Maintaining a healthy balance is God's desire, an expression of a discerning mind and maturity.
 
Conflicts with others often arise from clashes in our values. In such times, we must ask ourselves: Are the values I uphold intentionally aimed at correcting other values? Do the values I uphold need other values to maintain balance? Have I absolutized some values or emphasized them excessively, thus overcompensating?
 
If we have already corrected the issues we wanted to correct, then we must be cautious not to fall into another extreme, otherwise, we would need another group to correct us. In this sense, our values must also maintain a certain fluidity, allowing God's hand to correct them at any time. As theologian Donald English said, we must keep close scrutiny over our guiding principles to see if they still meet people's needs. That's why we need the whole Bible, and we need the generations before and after us to supervise and remind us. This may create tension, but it's healthy.
 
God wants us to remain vigilant, to think critically and independently, to step out and see from outside perspectives, allowing God's word to continually shape our culture. We are not perfect now, and if we don't see the basic "creeds" shaping this culture, we have no direction for change. If we fear the discomfort and chaos that change brings, we won't embrace change. If we don't see the blessings that change can bring, we won't have the motivation to change. May the Lord help us, humbly follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the direction of His Holy Word, so that we may grow together to the fullness of Christ, Amen.