Strengthened With Might

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man.

Ephesians 3:14-16

Paul interceded for his spiritual children as fervently as any parent would for their natural-born child.  As he did earlier, so now Paul again articulates what he is praying for these who are dearly beloved to him.  He prays first that they might be ‘strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man.’  If we are the followers of Christ, we will encounter many circumstances in life which will conspire to weaken us spiritually.  These may involve temptations, trials, persecutions, and afflictions or some combination of those things.  Our own weaknesses, by virtue of our remaining sinfulness, will aid and abet these conspiring circumstances.  The world, the flesh, and the devil are all against all we are in Christ.  Therefore, Paul, knowing that his dear children in the faith would be facing all these things, prayed fervently to intercede for them ‘to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man.’  This is likewise our hope for those who are our children in the faith.  Others have prayed for us that we might be so strengthened.  We have the privilege of praying for those to whom we have become spiritual parents.  As we come to the place of prayer today, let us pray that those who are near and dear to us will ‘be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man.’  This will inevitably mean that the Spirit will draw them out after Christ.  He will be ever more consistently their true north.  So the Spirit strengthens us, and will strengthen them.

Our All-powerful and All-loving God,
we rejoice that You strengthen us with might.
We praise You that this ultimately brings us again to Christ,
Who upholds us with His free Spirit.

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning