Daily Bread_September 12, 2013

Title: Praying for You

Text:

Ephesians 3:14-21 (ESV)
¹⁴ For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,
¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
¹⁶ that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
¹⁸ may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
¹⁹ and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
²⁰ Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,
²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Observation:

This is a pastoral prayer; it is a prayer that the Apostle Paul prayed for the church at Ephesus; it is a prayer that I love to pray for others, and to have others pray for me. It is a prayer for spiritual empowerment; for God to do something for you that you cannot do for yourself.

O how we need to lay hold of God's love and of God's power in our daily living. Living for the Lord is possible when God is leading us and supplying all of our needs according to His riches and His power. Being a Christian is not a self made project; we are God's workmanship.

Why do we pray so little when we have a heavenly Father who is able and willing to give us so much? O, how we need a change to take place in each of us for the glory of God, and for the benefit of others.

Let's pray Paul's pastoral prayer for one another; you pray it for me, and I will pray it for you. Lord, hear our prayers, and grant us Thy love, power and peace.

Ephesians 6:18 (ESV)
¹⁸ praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

Prayer:

Father God, Sovereign Lord, I pray that You would have mercy upon us, and cause Your face to shine upon us, and be gracious to us. Father God, stir the hearts of Your people until we are willing to know and do the Your will; until we are willing to say it and mean it, and pray, "Thy will be done in me as it is done in heaven". Amen and Amen.

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Acts 6:4 (KJV)
⁴ But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

 

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