Prayer and Promises

For this reason I kneel before the Father. I pray that He may grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power in the inner man through His Spirit. — Ephesians 3:14,16, HCSB 

The apostle prayed for the church at Ephesus, that God would grant them “…to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man.” The spiritual strength here spoken of is something that we may each obtain; but how shall we get it? Perhaps we are in darkness, feeling weak and discouraged and that God does not love us. If so, we are not to give way to feeling; feeling has nothing whatever to do with the matter. We are to take the word of God as it reads, the words of Christ as he has spoken them. 

We may come to our Saviour in the hour of trial, and plead: “I am in poverty and need, and I must have thy blessing. I come to thee; for thou hast told me to come. Thou hast invited all who are weary and heavy laden to come unto thee, and thou hast promised them rest. Thou hast said; ‘Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls.’” And when he has given you rest, do not grieve his Spirit by talking darkness and unbelief. Talk faith; but, above all things, hold daily communion with Jesus. 

We read: “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will” grudgingly pardon. Is that it? No, indeed! This is the way it reads: “For he will abundantly pardon.” When you have thrown yourself upon the mercy of God, and taken him at his word, and yet the enemy comes, and suggests your faults and failings, and tells you that you are no better than before you sought the Lord, you can point to Jesus, and repeat his promises, and tell what he has done for you. 

Our hearts may be filled with all the fullness of God; but there is something for us to do. We must not pet our faults and sins, but put them away, and make haste to set our hearts in order. When this is done, let us take the key of faith, and unlock the storehouse of God’s rich blessings… we have the promise of our divine Lord, “According to your faith be it unto you.” 

It is Christ dwelling in the soul that gives us spiritual power, and makes us channels of light. The more light we have, the more we can impart to others around us. 

I kneel before You, O Lord, in grateful praise that I may turn to You in my hour of trial. I feel destitute and need Your blessing. I claim the promise of rest for my soul, strengthen me with Your power in my inner being through Your Spirit. I put away self and forsake my sins. May Christ dwell in my heart and give me spiritual power that I may be a channel of light to those around me.