Daily Reading: 7-15-16
Ephesians 3:14-21 New Living Translation (NLT)
When we truly allow Christ the Living Word to make his home in our hearts and trust our lives to his design and purpose, we can experience the unmeasurable love of God for us. God’s presence causes us to grow up spiritually. When we feel empty in our souls, it is simply because we have not invited the Word to transform us, fill us up, and become what we lack; God has fullness for each of us. He did not create us to be spiritually weak nor fragile when facing difficulties in this temporal world. By the Spirit we are to be full of love and mighty in bringing down evil. He created us to be filled with the fulness of Life (mature in Christ), so as his followers we may connect to all the resources of heaven and the wisdom to know how to use them. Every battle in this temporal world originates from a spiritual battle between good and evil and the intersection of the human will to choose between them. God’s Word teaches us about the strategies of evil, as well as the spiritual weapons (resources of heaven) that cause us to stand firm against every attack.
In our passage today, the Apostle Paul encourages the church at Ephesus to give praise to God for His love and goodness in bringing spiritual maturity to everyone who desires it:
Ephesians 3:14-21 Paul’s Prayer for Spiritual Growth
14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father,[a] 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. 21 Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.
Prayer: Father, thank you for the privilege of coming boldly into your presence. Jesus, thank you for promising to make me spiritually strong and mature. Holy Spirit, I welcome you to transform me and cause the roots of Christ’s love–the Anointed One–to grow down deep in my heart. In Jesus’ name. Amen.