I love how my great friend and mentor has recently prayed that God would make her “exceedingly fruitful.” I love her stories of how God has answered that prayer almost immediately. I think about that beautiful word exceedingly. I notice how in Psalm 68:3, we’re told that the people don’t just rejoice in God, but they exceedingly rejoice. I love how in Matthew 19:25, the disciples are not just amazed at Jesus but exceedingly amazed. Or, I see in 2 Corinthians 7:13 how exceedingly comforted Paul is.
When Jesus is present, things aren’t normal and ordinary. They become marvelous and exceedingly so. They exceed expectations. They exceed our capacity to even imagine them.
Exceedingly: It’s a beautiful word that means to a great extent, in an extreme way, beyond what is usual.
So today, I find myself praying, not just for God’s mercy and joy to fill our lives, but for it to arrive in exceedingly beautiful ways. I pray for an exceedingly fruitful ministry, an exceedingly wonderful holiday with family, and an exceedingly bountiful parenting and marriage life.
I pray most of all that I would know Jesus in an exceedingly powerful and intimate way.
And His answer will exceed even my asking.