“Never stop praying” (1 Thessalonians 5:17 NLT)
”So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” (Hebrews 4:16 NLT)
“Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” (Mark 11:24 NKJV)
“My dear friends, I pray that you will remain strong and not be discouraged or ashamed by all that I suffer on your behalf, for it is for your glory. So I kneel humbly in awe before the Father of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, the perfect Father of every father and child in heaven and on the earth. And I pray that he would unveil within you the unlimited riches of his glory and favor until supernatural strength floods your innermost being with his divine might and explosive power. Then, by constantly using your faith, the life of Christ will be released deep inside you, and the resting place of his love will become the very source and root of your life. Then you will be empowered to discover what every holy one experiences—the great magnitude of the astonishing love of Christ in all its dimensions. How deeply intimate and far-reaching is his love! How enduring and inclusive it is! Endless love beyond measurement that transcends our understanding—this extravagant love pours into you until you are filled to overflowing with the fullness of God! Never doubt God’s mighty power to work in you and accomplish all this. He will achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination! He will outdo them all, for his miraculous power constantly energizes you. Now we offer up to God all the glorious praise that rises from every church in every generation through Jesus Christ—and all that will yet be manifest through time and eternity. Amen!” (Ephesians 3:13-21 TPT)
Step 1: Probe the prayer under the light of the Holy Spirit.
Let’s continue probing verses 14 – 16…
…So I kneel humbly in awe before the Father of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, the perfect Father of every father and child in heaven and on the earth. And I pray that he would unveil within you the unlimited riches of his glory and favor until supernatural strength floods your innermost being with his divine might and explosive power.
The next 3 items on our list go together…
…unlimited riches of glory.
…unlimited riches of favor.
…supernatural strength.
…divine might.
…explosive power.
I am only going to scratch the surface on talking about “supernatural strength.” This strength unleashes a flood of “divine might” and “explosive power.” As we begin to look at this it is important to define the primary purpose for this strength. I am fully persuaded that the answer to the question, “Why did God deposit ‘supernatural strength’ consisting of ‘divine might’ and explosive power’ within me?” is answered in Acts 1:8…
…”But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (NKJV)
The Greek word for “power” in Acts 1:8 is the same word used for “strength,” “power,” and “might” in Ephesians 3:16. It is the word “dynamis.” Strong’s Concordance defines dynamis as “inherent power, force, or ability, often referring to miraculous power, mighty deeds, strength, derived from the root meaning ‘to be able.’ it signifies potential, miraculous power, or a demonstration of divine might.” This power is intended to be demonstrated, not simply kept inside.
The Dead Sea cannot sustain life because it has no outlet for its water. It continually receives fresh water in which aquatic life could flourish, however once the water enters into the sea it just sits there and dies. If I become self seeking in my relationship with my Heavenly Father I become much like the Dead Sea. He will continue to fill me with good things, however as they simply sit within me they begin to stagnate and even die. Without sharing his blessings with others (my outlet) they lose their life giving qualities.
The strength (power) that has been deposited within me will only grow and flourish as I give it away. I have received power in order to demonstrate it in the lives of those around me. There are two Old Testament passages which I believe are the best illustrations of what Paul is praying here. I am going to share them in both the Amplified Bible and The Passion Translation.
“But those who wait for the LORD [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] Will gain new strength and renew their power; They will lift up their wings [and rise up close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun]; They will run and not become weary, They will walk and not grow tired.” (Isaiah 40:31 AMP)
“But those who entwine their hearts with YAHWEH will experience divine strength. They will rise up on soaring wings and fly like eagles, run their races without growing weary, and walk through life without giving up.” (Isaiah 40:31 TPT)
“Who satisfies your years with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the [soaring] eagle.” (Psalm 103:5 AMP)
“You satisfy my every desire with good things, you’ve supercharged my life so that I soar again like a flying eagle in the sky!” (Psalm 103:5 TPT)
Paul was praying that the Ephesian believers would clearly see the dynamite that the Holy Spirit had placed within their spirits. They possessed a supernatural strength consisting of divine might and explosive power. The same is true of you and me today. I don’t think we have an inkling of just what we house within our bodies. I think that most of us have not renewed our minds to a great enough degree to catch more than a glimpse of this power. I think we are so fixated on the weakness of our bodies in which remains a remnant of sin that we don’t begin to appreciate what we possess.
The biggest fear that our enemy (the devil) has is that we will wake up tomorrow with the revelation of exactly who we are and what we possess in Christ. Satan (the devil) is equally fearful that we will get a revelation of what happened to him when Jesus rose again with resurrection power after completely conquering sin, sickness, and death. Satan is a defeated foe. He has absolutely no authority. He has no power in my life except that which I give him. When I stand in the armor of God and wield the sword of the Spirit in resistance he has no choice but to run from me in stark terror. There was a period of time between the First and Last Adams in which the devil possessed the authority and power that belonged to the First Adam, but that ended with the resurrection and ascension of the Last Adam Jesus Christ. As a disciple of the risen Christ that power has been restored to me. I have the Name and Blood of Jesus at my disposal.
I am overflowing with the same power that conquered the devil and resurrected Jesus. I possess the same power that Jesus released into the lives of multitudes when he healed the sick, cast out demons, set captives free, broke the bondage of poverty, and even raised people from the dead. It is this divine power that enables me to fulfill the following challenge given to me by Jesus…
…“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.” (John 14:12 NLT)
This is a good time to be reminded of what Paul had already prayed for the Ephesians…
…”I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 1:19-20 NLT)
There is always so much more to be said. I hope this will peak your interest and create a desire within you to dig deeper on your own. Please allow the Holy Spirit to take you further than we have gone in……Eric’s Life Lesson # 441: Praying With Paul – Ephesians 3:13-21 Part 6