Amazing Prayer 2 - Strength to Receive

Reading: Ephesians 3:14-21
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. Ephesians 3:16-17a (NIV)

I.   According to His glorious Riches (16a)

     A.  How Wealthy is God?

           1.  The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it Ps 24:1

           2.  The highest heavens belong to the Lord Ps115:16

           3.  Riches in Ephesians:

                 a.  Of grace (1:7), glorious inheritance (1:18)

                 b.  In mercy (2:4), of Christ (3:8)

                 c.  Incomparable (2:7), Unsearchable (3:8)

     B.  How Glorious are His riches?

           1.  Every good & perfect gift comes from Him

           2.  Everything glorious & wonderful is His

           3.  His greatest Treasure for us is Himself

     C.  How Generously does He give?

           1.  Is Your God a stingy miser?
If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! Matt 7:11

           2.  Romans 10:12b
the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him

II.  Strong with Power through His Spirit (16b)

     A.  He makes us Strong

           1.  Christianity doesn’t make us weaklings!

           2.  He makes us strong when we are weak.

           3.  Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power (6:10)

     B.  He gives us His Mighty power (6:10! – above)

           1.  What kind of power does God have to give?

           2.  Not just power but out-of-His-riches power

           3.  It isn’t and doesn’t become our power.

     C.  He gives Immense Inner strength

           1.  God strengthens our inner being

           2.  He doesn’t want us broken, but warriors

           3.  A strong person is a better home for Jesus!

III. Christ At Home in us (17a)

     A.  Our hearts: His home

           1.  Is Jesus at home in your heart?

And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him. (3:17a–NLT)

                 a.  Deepening fellowship (not conversion)

           2.  Our you at home with Jesus in your heart?

           3.  Our hearts–our personal/spiritual center

“it is not enough, if the knowledge of Christ dwell on the tongue or flutter in the brain.” –John Calvin.

     B.  Our Whole heart

           1.  Does Jesus have the run of His “home”?

                 a.  Is He at home in your whole heart?

           2.  Can we let Him in all the way?

                 a.  All of Him in all of us?

                 b.  Getting in the park isn’t enough, is it?

     C.  Through Heart – Faith

           1.  Not mere head-faith; heart-faith: reliance

                 a.  We trust Him in/with our hearts

           2.  He enters as far as we trust Him to enter.

                 a.  We need His strength to trust more

The Bottom Line:

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