Prayer for the Filling of God’s Power and Love

Prayer for the Filling of God’s Power and Love   
By Debbie McDaniel    

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to measure of all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:16-19

God is powerful and loving. And He desires to fill our lives, our days, with that same power and love through His Holy Spirit. Paul prayed this prayer over the Ephesians. He had spent over 3 years with this people, working with the church of Ephesus, he loved them and longed to see them walking closely with God. His desire was that they would be continually strengthened with God’s power, and living out their faith with the example of the love of Christ.

We can know this in our heads, yet find it difficult at times to walk it out in daily life. We’re busy. We’re tired. We feel alone or broken. We’re distracted. We get offended. We harbor bitterness or resentment.

But no matter what we might be facing or feeling, when we’re willing to stand together as the body of Christ, dependent on God for the Spirit’s fresh filling of power and love, all other things lose their hold on us.

For God’s love encompasses all. It reaches to every dark crevice and fills every need or longing. It gives power to forgive and to let go of the past. It releases sin’s hold and gives peace to the hurting. It is powerful and surpasses our own knowledge and understanding.

It is “wide.” It stretches to a greater expanse and extent than we can ever imagine.

It is “long.” It encompasses the length of our days, before and all beyond.

It is “high.” It reaches to the highest heavens.

It is “deep.” It extends to the deepest pit.

His love never fails.

Dear God,

We thank you that you indeed are powerful and loving, that out of your glorious riches you strengthen us through your Spirit in our inner being. We ask you for the fresh filling of your Holy Spirit, we ask for your power and love to fill us. We thank you that as believers we know that Christ dwells richly within our hearts through faith. We pray that you would strengthen our roots and establish our lives firmly in your love.

When the world shouts hate, help us to love. When the past won’t let go, help us to love. When the enemy taunts with lies and surrounds with darkness, help us to love. When a relationship feels broken or we’re betrayed or rejected, help us to love.

Help us to love, and to keep on loving. By the power of your Spirit.

Even when it seems impossible.

Even when it doesn’t make sense.

May our lives be filled with your goodness and power, today and every day, as we walk in your Spirit of love.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.

Does God Promise Safety?

Does God Promise Safety?   
By Jennifer Waddle    

This devotional was taken in part from Jennifer Waddle’s blog, Encouraging Women in the Trenches of Life. You can read the entire post here.

Of all the beautiful promises in the Bible, a guarantee of our physical safety isn’t one of them. As Christians, we’d like to believe that no harm will ever come to us or our loved ones. But from the moment sin entered the world in the Garden of Eden, sickness, pain, and death has been a reality for all of mankind.

Paul testified openly about the severe trials he went through in 2 Corinthians 11. Beyond what most of us could ever imagine, the apostle endured intense hardship and peril. Yet, his attitude was one of perseverance and fortitude. As he neared the end of his life, he was able to say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7)

Paul was willing to suffer for the sake of Christ. This is not to say that he never prayed for safety. (See Romans 15:30-31) However, he knew that through his affliction, Christ’s power would be made known.

That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:10

So, if God doesn’t promise safety, what does He promise? Here are 3 verses that assure us of the Lord’s provision over our lives.

1. God promises to guard us from the evil one.

The Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. 2 Thessalonians 3:3

This is, perhaps, the most crucial promise, as we face constant spiritual battles from the evil one. Satan wants nothing more than to steal, kill, and destroy. But God is faithful, establishing us in Christ, and guarding us from the arrows of the evil one.

Paul was willing to suffer for the sake of Christ. This is not to say that he never prayed for safety. (See Romans 15:30-31) However, he knew that through his affliction, Christ’s power would be made known.

That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:10

So, if God doesn’t promise safety, what does He promise? Here are 3 verses that assure us of the Lord’s provision over our lives.

2. God promises to uphold us.

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

There will be times when we have absolutely no strength left. We may even feel unable to go on. At those times, we can fully count on God to be our help and our strength. The Lord’s righteous, right hand upholds us. What a beautiful reminder of Jesus, seated at the right hand of the Father—our righteous Defender.

3. God promises to supply our needs.

And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

Even though we are not promised physical safety, we are promised that our physical needs will be met. During the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told the multitudes not to worry about what they would eat, what they would drink, or what they would wear. Instead, He encouraged them to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. (Matthew 6:25-33) Then, all the things they needed would be added as well.

We may not fully understand why the Lord allows bad things to happen to His people, but we can still declare that He is God and He is good. Just as Paul was able to see beyond his painful trials to the promise of heaven, we too can be assured that eternity with the Lord is well worth every hardship here on earth.

5 Essential Lessons You Need to Know from the Book of Ruth

5 Essential Lessons You Need to Know from the Book of Ruth   
By Chris Russell    

The Book of Ruth is one of only two books of the Bible to be named after women (the other is Esther). Even though it’s small, this remarkable book contains many principles with profound impact to our lives today.

As we read over the great story of Ruth, there are five important applications that jump out at me. Here they are:

1) God is concerned about all people regardless of race, nationality, or status. Ruth was not a Jew. She was a Moabite. Even though many discriminated against her, God loved her just the same. God does not discriminate, and He loves all people just the same.

2) Men and women are both equally important to God.God cares about men and women all the same. We are all one in His eyes. While most false religions that have been constructed over the centuries often elevate men and dishonor women, Christianity is the one religion that consistently honors men and women at the same level. There is no difference in His eyes.

3) There is no such thing as an unimportant person in God’s eyes. At a surface level, few saw Ruth as an important person. But God saw her as important and His plan for her life culminated in her becoming a part of the lineage of Jesus (as the grandmother to King David). God’s plan typically involves using people who are considered to be underdogs or unimportant or unimpressive from man’s perspective.

4) God uses “little” things to accomplish great plans. What an amazing plan God had for a series of “little” things that all added up to important pieces in God’s big plan. God intended for Ruth to be a part of the story of the lineage of Jesus. So, He pulled together events such as the famine, Naomi’s relocation to Moab, their return to Bethlehem, Boaz’ bloodline, and many other events just to ensure that Ruth could be a part of His plan. And God does that same thing in our lives today!

5) God has a Redeemer in place who can rescue us from the devastation of our own sin. God has a Redeemer for our lives, too, and His name is Jesus. Boaz was a type (prophetic symbol) of Christ and His redemptive work in our lives today. We are empty, just as Naomi was empty and devastated after she had lost everything and returned to Judah. Our sin has rendered us empty and desolate spiritually. But Jesus is willing to redeem us. He wants to rescue us from the penalty of our sin. And all we have to do to be rescued is to call on Him in faith and ask Him to save us (Romans 10:13).

My hope is that you are one of His redeemed. If you are not, my hope is that you will call on Him right now and ask Him to save you once and for all from the consequences of your sins!