Strengthen me with Power
Yesterday I pointed out that Paul has some common themes running though his prayers…we saw knowledge as one area, but this morning let me point a second common them…power.
Paul isn’t asking for power in the Superhero sort of way, but for God to move in us to enable us to do what He wants us to do. What Jesus said is true, “apart from me you can do nothing.” Paul understood that. So, let me show you how it shows up in his prayers and how it should show up in ours.
In Ephesians 1:17-23 Paul prays for things that my mind just can’t grasp…the depth is enormous, but in the mist of asking God to give them a Spirit of wisdom and understanding in the knowledge of Him, Paul asks that God would do it according to the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe. The he qualifies that power…it’s the power that raised Jesus from the dead, that seated Him at the right hand of the Father, the power that is above all rule and authority and power and dominion…
In Ephesians 3:14-19 he continues, “that He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being,” and then in verse 18, he prays that we might “have the strength to comprehend with all the saints” and goes on to speak of the love of God.
In Colossians 1:9-11 the prayer for us to be filled with knowledge is qualified by us “being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might.”
In 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 he prays, “that our God would make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by His power….”
And Peter joins in this thought in 2 Peter 1:3 Peter says, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness…”
Do you see it? We are utterly dependent upon His working in us, we are in absolute need of knowledge and understanding, but we can’t have it apart from the powerful move of the Holy Spirit in our life. God must strengthen us so that we can know Him and the all powerful God does just that, but we must ask.
Every morning, I ask God to enable me to live a life worthy of Him, for the power to accomplish all He wants me to do, and for those works to bring honor and glory to Him. Will you join me in that pursuit…to know Him and to experience His power.
Paul isn’t asking for power in the Superhero sort of way, but for God to move in us to enable us to do what He wants us to do. What Jesus said is true, “apart from me you can do nothing.” Paul understood that. So, let me show you how it shows up in his prayers and how it should show up in ours.
In Ephesians 1:17-23 Paul prays for things that my mind just can’t grasp…the depth is enormous, but in the mist of asking God to give them a Spirit of wisdom and understanding in the knowledge of Him, Paul asks that God would do it according to the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe. The he qualifies that power…it’s the power that raised Jesus from the dead, that seated Him at the right hand of the Father, the power that is above all rule and authority and power and dominion…
In Ephesians 3:14-19 he continues, “that He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being,” and then in verse 18, he prays that we might “have the strength to comprehend with all the saints” and goes on to speak of the love of God.
In Colossians 1:9-11 the prayer for us to be filled with knowledge is qualified by us “being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might.”
In 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 he prays, “that our God would make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by His power….”
And Peter joins in this thought in 2 Peter 1:3 Peter says, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness…”
Do you see it? We are utterly dependent upon His working in us, we are in absolute need of knowledge and understanding, but we can’t have it apart from the powerful move of the Holy Spirit in our life. God must strengthen us so that we can know Him and the all powerful God does just that, but we must ask.
Every morning, I ask God to enable me to live a life worthy of Him, for the power to accomplish all He wants me to do, and for those works to bring honor and glory to Him. Will you join me in that pursuit…to know Him and to experience His power.
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