When God Is Working, Are We Noticing and Receiving?

Following Jesus from the Edges
Pastor Calvin Cook
November 10, 2026

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” — Ephesians 3:20 (NIV)

This morning, as I continue in prayer and reflection, I find myself returning to yesterday’s question: Are we recognizing what God is doing?

But today, another question is stirring in my heart. When God is working, are we not only noticing, but are we willing to receive what He is doing?

I recently heard a statement that has stayed with me: “God can do more in thirty seconds than we can accomplish in thirty years.”

Think about that! Thirty seconds compared to thirty years!

How much of our lives do we spend trying to make things happen? We plan, organize, strategize, meet, discuss, debate, and sometimes argue about what needs to happen next. We work tirelessly to accomplish what we believe God has called us to do.

Yet, in the middle of all our efforts, I wonder whether we sometimes forget just how powerful our God really is.

Paul reminds us in Ephesians 3:20 that God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.

Not simply a little more. Not just what we think is possible. But immeasurably more!

As someone who considers himself a visionary, I often imagine what could be. I see possibilities for the Church, for our communities, and for people searching for Jesus. But even my greatest vision cannot begin to comprehend all that God is capable of doing.

And perhaps that is where the challenge begins.

We say we believe God can do anything, but do we live with that expectation?

We pray for revival, but are we prepared to receive it when it comes differently than we imagined?

We pray for new people to come into our churches, but are we willing to make room for their questions, gifts, and passion?

We pray for God to raise up new leaders, but are we willing to encourage them and trust the Holy Spirit’s work in their lives?

We pray for transformation, but are we willing to be transformed ourselves?

I wonder if sometimes we are so busy asking God to bless what we are doing that we fail to notice what He is already blessing.

Paul reminds us that God’s immeasurable power is already at work within us. Through the Holy Spirit, God is working in the hearts and lives of those who belong to Jesus.

We cannot manufacture revival. We cannot organize the Holy Spirit into moving. We cannot force hearts to surrender to Jesus.

But we can pray. We can prepare. We can surrender. We can listen. And when God begins to move, we can faithfully respond.

I don’t want to spend thirty years trying to accomplish something in my own strength while overlooking what God is inviting me to receive through His power.

Maybe you have been praying about something for years. Perhaps it is a relationship, a ministry, a community, or someone you love who has wandered away from Jesus.

Don’t stop praying. Don’t stop believing. Don’t stop watching for God’s movement.

God’s timing is His own, and His answers may not look like ours. But His power has not diminished.

So today, I ask myself two questions:

Am I noticing what God is doing?

And when I recognize His movement, am I willing to receive it?

Lord, open our eyes to recognize where You are working and our hearts to receive what You are doing. Give us courage to surrender our expectations, patience to trust Your timing, and faith to believe You can do far more than we ask or imagine. May all the glory belong to You, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.