"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD GIVING YOU STRENGTH IN THE INNER MAN"

"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT GOD GIVING YOU STRENGTH IN THE INNER MAN"

Ephesians 3:14 “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,”

Ephesians 3:15 “from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,”

Ephesians 3:16 “that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,”

Ephesians 3:17 “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,”

Ephesians 3:18 “may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height,”

Ephesians 3:19 “to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

(Taken from today's reading in the One Year Bible, 9/24/14)

Some explanatory thoughts, application, questions and a prayer:

Paul's wonderfully encouraging Christ centered letter to the believers in Ephesus includes a number of his prayers for them.
The scriptures above are one of those prayers. The content of this prayer is something that is applicable to all believers, not just the Ephesians. Please enjoy seeing what Paul was praying for (we know it's in the will of God, and can therefore know with certainty that God will hear and answer this prayer) and pray this for your life and the lives of others. May this prayer be answered, Lord, in the lives of all who read and pray what is listed above.

1. We can do as Paul did and bow ourselves before the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 3:14 “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,”
Ephesians 3:15 “from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,”

Paul sets an example for us of simply being a man who spoke to God. We can do the same.
His prayer is an example of what we can pray for and it happens to be something we need.
When we pray God hears.
When we pray according to God's will, He not only hears, but He responds and acts according to His will.

2. We can ask our Father to strengthen us with His might in our inner man through the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 3:16 “that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,”

Paul's prayer had to do with what God could, and would, and wants to do in the inner man of all of His children.
Paul asked God to give strength according to God's might in the inner man.
Paul knew as we do, that we can be strong on the outside, but weak on the inside.
Thus this prayer addresses an area of our lives we can relate to.
God can and will give you His strength on the inside of your life, in what the Bible calls the inner man.

3. We can ask that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith.

Ephesians 3:17 “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;”

This prayer request is an interesting one.
It's actually asking that as the Holy Spirit gives strength to the believer in their inner man, that the net result would be a deepened relationship with Christ.

Dwelling in our hearts, carries the idea of Jesus being completely at home in our lives.
Free to move about as He pleases in our lives.
Our most welcome guest, as it were.
But not feeling like a guest, but rather that He belongs in our lives, and is at home within us.
It speaks of a believer and Jesus being at peace and walking together in harmony.

4. We can also ask to become rooted and grounded in love and able to comprehend and know the love of God, and be filled with the fullness of God.

Ephesians 3:17 “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,”
Ephesians 3:18 “may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height,”
Ephesians 3:19 “to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

This is dealing with the heart of who God is and the heart of what God wants to do in our lives.
God is love, and He want to root and ground us (making us mature and stable and unmoving as it were) in His love.
The fruit of Spirit is love.
God wants to fill us with His love, and let it overflow our lives to the needy and dark world around us.
Jesus wants to use our lives to tell others about His great love.

Some Questions:

1. Do you know that you can pray this exact prayer for yourself and for others?

2. Do you know that God will answer this prayer without any hesitation?

3. Do you ever stop to think how wonderful it is that God actually listens to our prayers?

4. And, do you ever stop to think that He truly will answer prayers that are according to His will?

5. Will you take a moment to read these verses today and make them your prayer to Your Father in Heaven?

A Prayer:

Our Father in heaven. Hallowed be Your name, and may Your will be done on earth, in our hearts, just as Your will is being done in heaven.
Thank You for listening to us, and thank You for answering our prayers. What a great God You are that would want us to know You, and to be filled with Your love. What better concept and truth can there be for a human being? I cannot think of one. Father, we desire to be as open receptacles for You, to do in us as You please, and we desire to be obedient children who love to do as their Father leads.
May our lives grow in knowing You and Your love, and may our lives overflow with Your love. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.