I pray

Last week i preached on us being chosen, a special and peculiar people chosen by God. i also mention that as choisen people we have priveledges, Today I want o talk about more about the holiness part of being chosen,

We find the scripture coming from the the book of Ephesians the 3rd chapter verses 14-19

Ephesians 3:14-10

New Living Translation Chapter 3

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. 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.

Father i come humbly before the throne of mercy seeking your guidance and your mercy,. i am asking that you allow me to speak your words with boldness and conviction, that something I say strengthen a saint or bring someone to the altar asking what must I do to be saved. This I ask in the name of your son Jesus Christ amen.

I pray!This epistle was written to the Church at Ephesus and the churches in that area. Paul wrote it while imprisoned in Rome. This letter was meant to guide and strengthen those in Ephesus as they were facing challenges in their ministry, their lives and in their struggle with their faith.

In this particular chapter and verse Paul is telling about God’s plan and the mysteries of God message. What i like about this particular scripture that Paul who is locked away is looking out for the Ephesians, and while he can not physically be with them, and can’t physically affect their circumstances there is one thing he can do , he can pray for them.

You see Paul realized there is power is prayer. Anybody here understand there is power in prayer.

There are a few basic components to Paul prayer to the Ephesians that are transferable to Conocanary today.

Paul prays to the Father, the almighty father, this Father who can provide, the one with a cattle on a thousand hills, the one who knew us before we were formed in our mother’s womb, and so he can heal us because he knows us, this deliverer. who can deliver us , like he delivered David against Goliath in the valley of Elah, who can deliver us like he delivered the Hebrews from the Egyptians at the shore of he red sea, Like he delivered us from the last storm, the last accident, the last robbery, the last bullet, the last crazy the last death Angel who passed us by last night, for somebody went to sleep last night but did not wake up this morning, somebody, woke up and did not have a right mind, somebody woke up and could not get out of bed. somebody should thank him this morning.

Strengthen

This is the Father God that Paul pays to to send the holy Spirit to strengthen the saints , and allow an indwelling of Christ in the hearts of the saints so that hat may be fulfilled., And not read in the scripture is verse 20 and 20 which says that this God we serve can do exceeding and abundantly more than we even ask for.

In this prayer Paul recognizes all three person of the God head, the Father ,the son and the holy spirit as three different aspects of God. and understands that all three of god’s aspect affect and direct are lives.

He calls on the Spirit to empower us , to strengthen the inner man. you see we struggle, between the inner man and outer man, the carnal and the spiritual, the old you and the new you. Paul realizes that this battle i s real. Paul knows ,and God knows I know that there is a battle for control. This a prayer for our faith to be strengthen, hold on somebody is losing it but hold on .

I pray for you right now 1 HOLD ON ;

I KNOW THE PAIN IS GREAT BUT I PRAY!

HOLD ON

There is a force that wants you to do the things you used to do,, there is a power that wants you to reject holiness and Jesus and choose sin.

Oh yes , some of us slide into the trap, thinking that the world is our salvation, that you can do whatever you want and whoever you want, whenever you want.

You know you say you are not really hurting anybody bit yourself, and it is just about you being you.

but we must realize that we must try to be holy, I know we fall short sometimes., but our sacrifice to Jesus is that we try.

And that we grow in Christ. That is Paul for request in this prayer. This is the same prayer that i pray for us. This Spirit who has all power, strengthen us so we can be what Jesus would have us to be, that we reject sin, we reject the enemy, we reject sexual immorality, lying , we reject anything that pulls us away from Jesus! N

ITS PULLING YOU RIGHT NOW

BUT I PRAY!

Indwelling

You see Paul prays recognizes that when you accepted Christ your invited him into your life, when you were baptized, you invited him in but see that is only the beginning. You see he prays , I pray for an indwelling of Christ in your heart. That you not only acknowledge Christ but that he becomes the controlling force in your life. An indwelling!

It like this , you have invited Christ in but have you really let him in. You know how you have a visitor at your house, and you only let them go into that one room that you keep clean, because the rest of the house in a mess. We only let Christ go in that part of our life that we show on Sunday. Bu we don’t share our whole life with Christ. there are rooms he an’t go into The Kitchen with the wordly appetite, the living room filled with unwholesome company, the closet with the secrets.

or even worse , you have Christ in a show room that is really never used , it just looks like Christ but it is never used. it was like my grandmother used to call her living room but you couldn’t go in there and all the furniture was covered in that thick plastic , it was a room but never used a couch never sat on, and you have a religion never used.

YOU WANT OT LET HIM HIM IN BUT YOU ARE WORRIED AND SCARED BUT I PRAY YOU ARE FREE!

Satisfied

But I pray you are filled with Christ , because once filled with Christ you will learn of his love that passes all understanding. You will know that Jesus you serve, and that love will transcend all , your relationships with family, your relationship with you church, it will transform you, and fulfill you and fill you.

What does that mean it means you will be satisfied. Anyway you bless me Lord! I will be satisfied,

I am satisfied with Christ.

I may not be a millionaire but i am satisfied.

I may not not be able to run the hundred yard dash but I am satisfied with christ

May not travel the world

but I am satisfied

For what can separate me from God, hardship, trouble, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger

I am full with God!

For neither death nor life , angels nor demons.the present or future, nor powers, nor anything else in all creation separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our lord.

I am satisfied, you can;t make me doubt him because I know too much about him.

That is why Paul could close out his prayer by saying

King James Version Chapter 3

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

Somebody said bad grammar but good theology

He is able

Can do more

can amaze you

do you believe

do you know

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