Tag Archives: Unlimited resources

PRAYING GOD’S WAY – 15

Prayer, ,

THE APEX OF ALL PRAYERS

‭Ephesians 3:16-19 NLT‬
[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.”

Whoever uttered this prayer had a grasp of and a passion for God’s love like no other! All of Paul’s insights, teachings, instructions, explanations, rebukes, corrections, and recorded prayers peak at this point… knowing and experiencing the love of God in Christ.

Whatever Paul has written and preserved for believers down the centuries will mean little if it does not bring us to the fulfillment of this prayer. God’s love, the source and completion of everything He has ever done, from creation in Genesis to consummation in Revelation, is all that matters.

The Apostle John must surely have grasped this truth. He was transformed from “son of thunder” to “the disciple whom Jesus loved”
by a love so great that it consumed his heart. His letters ooze the love of God. God’s love for us drips from every word he wrote, an unfathomable love so great that it drives every thought and action God has towards lost humans.

Until we, like Paul and John, see with wide-open spiritual eyes, this love of God on Scripture’s every page, and embrace it for ourselves, we will always limp along in the twilight of our salvation experience.

Knowing and experiencing this divine love creates the confidence in a belonging that nothing and no one can ever destroy.

‭Romans 8:35, 37-39 NLT‬
[35] Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?…

[37] No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
[38] And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.
[39] “No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

A hymn composed by George Wade Robinson (1838 to 1877), beautifully expresses this sublime relationship.
(http:// www.hymnal.net)

“Loved with everlasting love,
Led by grace that love to know;
Spirit, breathing from above,
Thou hast taught me it is so.
Oh, this full and perfect peace!
Oh, this transport all divine!
In a love which cannot cease,
I am His, and He is mine.

  1. Heaven above is softer blue,
    Earth around is sweeter green;
    Something lives in every hue
    Christless eyes have never seen:
    Birds with gladder songs o’erflow,
    Flow’rs with deeper beauties shine,
    Since I know, as now I know,
    I am His, and He is mine.
  2. Things that once were wild alarms
    Cannot now disturb my rest;
    Closed in everlasting arms,
    Pillowed on the loving breast.
    Oh, to lie forever here,
    Doubt and care and self resign,
    While He whispers in my ear,
    I am His, and He is mine.
  3. His forever, only His:
    Who the Lord and me shall part?
    Ah, with what a rest of bliss
    Christ can fill the loving heart.
    Heaven and earth may fade and flee,
    Firstborn light in gloom decline;
    But, while God and I shall be,
    I am His, and He is mine.”

For knowledge and experience of this love in all the dimensions of its reach, and driven by the Holy Spirit in us, Paul earnestly prays. In the atmosphere and environment of God’s love entrenched in our hearts, Jesus Christ will be perfectly at home.

All the “so that’s” of the Holy Spirit’s energy in us will culminate in a grip so strong that God’s love in all its dimensions will color every nuance in life.

Every struggle, trouble, hardship, and adversity will NEVER be able to dislodge us from our confidence in this love. God’s love, the depth of who He is, will relentlessly surround and overshadow us until, at last, we are moved from time to eternity into that and life-sustaining breath of heaven forever.

If we are still uncertain of Jesus’ love for the Father, revealed in His sublime act of sacrifice in obedience to Him, then pray! Pray, like Paul prayed, that the love that glues the Godhead together and includes us in its grip, will become as real as the earth we walk on. Let that prayer become the air we breathe until we are wrapped, encased, and engulfed in the love of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

ROOTED IN LOVE – 8a

Bible Study, ,

Ephesians 3:14-17 NLT‬
[14] “When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, [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.”

As we read through the Apostle Paul’s letters, we must keep in mind that he was called to reach and teach Gentiles.

Gentiles were pagans, born and raised in the belief systems of worldly paganism with its foolishness, ignorance, and idolatry. What a mission!

The pagan gods Gentiles worshipped were both the product of their ungodly minds and the influence of their wicked spirit rulers. Gentiles were steeped in idolatry, attributing all their human experiences to evil, unpredictable, and capricious powers represented by visible images.

(Paul warns his readers in Corinth against trespassing into pagan territory by knowingly eating meat offered to idols).

(‭1 Corinthians 10:16, 19-20 NLT‬
[16] “When we bless the cup at the Lord’s Table, aren’t we sharing in the blood of Christ? And when we break the bread, aren’t we sharing in the body of Christ?…
[19] What am I trying to say? Am I saying that food offered to idols has some significance, or that idols are real gods? [20] No, not at all. I am saying that these sacrifices are offered to demons, not to God. And I don’t want you to participate with demons.”)

Gentiles lived in fear of falling foul of their gods’ whims and, consequently, did whatever they could to stay in favour with them. Since their gods represented demon spirits who were the epitome of evil, there was no end to the debauchery and wicked behaviour their worshippers engaged in.

God sent Paul to these people to tell them the truth. Imagine how difficult it must have been for him to tell them about the God and His interventions that were utterly foreign to them! Therefore, Paul’s confidence lay, not in the eloquence of his preaching, but in the power of the message he preached.

‭Romans 1:16 NLT‬
[16] “For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.“

‭1 Corinthians 1:17-18 NLT‬
[17]”For Christ didn’t send me to baptize, but to preach the Good News—and not with clever speech, for fear that the cross of Christ would lose its power. [18] The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.”

Paul’s tidy mind enabled him to explain God’s plans and the execution of them in an orderly way. How important that his readers have as clear an understanding of their faith as possible! Based on the knowledge of what God has done, his readers, in turn, would learn how to respond to God’s grace.

Faith without knowledge is fragile and dangerous. Without an understanding of what and why people believe what they believe, they have no solid foundation upon which to build their confidence in God. They are vulnerable to any “wind of doctrine” that may blow from unscrupulous preachers.

So, God in Christ has made provision, through the gift of people equipped with the knowledge of the truth, to train His people to be who they are, sons of the Most High God.

[11] “Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. [12] Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. [13] This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ. [14] Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.”

Everything Paul has explained in his Ephesian letter so far, is leading to a grand conclusion. Paul knew that the power of the gospel in all its facets lay in the Holy Spirit’s revelation of truth. The Spirit and the Word of God are an inseparable duo, working together in tandem to enlighten His people with life-changing truth. Without the Spirit, the Word is sterile. Without the Word, the Spirit has no ammo with which to dislodge lies. Together, the Spirit and the Word renew minds, and change lives.

‭Ephesians 6:13-17 NLT‬
[13] Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. [14] Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. [15] For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. [16] In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. [17] Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the SWORD of the SPIRIT, which is the WORD OF GOD.

‭Ephesians 6:18 NLT‬
[18] “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.”

Following his detailed explanation of God’s cosmic plan of salvation, including the place Gentiles occupy in His plan, Paul does the only thing left to do. He prays! Paul’s response to this plan so superb that no human mind could ever imagine it into reality, is to call on God’s Spirit to disclose its source and meaning to his readers to give them understanding of the truths he taught them, and empower them to live by who they are.

Why has God done all of this for us? What prompted Him to go to the lengths He did to rescue us from our self-destructive ways and catapult us into untold favour and blessing? Only one thing….His love!

God’s very essence is love. Everything He is, says, and does issues from His love.

“Essence is the basic nature of a thing, and the quality or qualities that make a thing what it is” (Definitions from Oxford Languages).

For us to live loved, to quote Paul Adams of “The Shack” fame, we must know God’s love in both understanding and experience. How can this happen? Only through the Holy Spirit in us, working through the truth we now know, to secure our faith in that love.

We cannot live “rooted in love” until we know what that LOVE has done for us. We cannot know what that love has done for us until the Holy Spirit convinces us of its truth through the Word. The revelation of that Word comes from the apostles God chose to be the channels through whom His truth was written.

‭Ephesians 3:3-5, 8-9 NLT‬
[3]”As I briefly wrote earlier, God himself revealed his mysterious plan to me. [4] As you read what I have written, you will understand my insight into this plan regarding Christ. [5] God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now by his Spirit he has revealed it to his holy apostles and prophets…
[8] Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ. [9] I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning.”

Paul’s prayer, then, is an echo of God’s heart and purpose. This is what true prayer is. God has done everything needed to undo the devil’s work and redo His original plan. It will happen in us as and when we add our “Amen!” to what He has done.

We can only participate in the fullness of God’s plan as we live loved in all the dimensions of God’s love. We learn to attribute everything that happens in our lives, good and bad, to the love that is guiding us towards God’s desired end. We trust that love even in our darkest times because we know that He is working for our good.

‭Ephesians 3:19 NLT‬
[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.”

There is always much more of God’s limitless love than we can ever know or experience here, now. Yet, God’s power administered to us through His Spirit will always show us more… and more… and more… as we are ready to receive it.

And if and when we ever reach this level, we will discover, to our delight, that there’s aways still more… much more!

‭Ephesians 3:20-21 NLT‬
[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.”

To be continued…