So I kneel humbly in awe before the Father of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, the perfect Father of every father and child in heaven and on the earth. And I pray that he would unveil within you the unlimited riches of his glory and favour until supernatural strength floods your innermost being with his divine might and explosive power.

Then, by constantly using your faith, the life of Christ will be released deep inside you, and the resting place of his love will become the very source and root of your life.

Then you will be empowered to discover what every holy one experiences—the great magnitude of the astonishing love of Christ in all its dimensions. How deeply intimate and far-reaching is his love! How enduring and inclusive it is! Endless love beyond measurement that transcends our understanding—this extravagant love pours into you until you are filled to overflowing with the fullness of God!

Never doubt God’s mighty power to work in you and accomplish all this. He will achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination! He will outdo them all, for his miraculous power constantly energizes you.  Ephesians 3:14-20 The Passion Translation

Love and Power

This, Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians, is also a prayer for you. It is one of the most beautiful prayers that can be prayed over you. It is a prayer seeking to know the love of God that surpasses knowledge so that you may be filled up to all fullness of God. 

To know such love is to know God – to know Him intimately as Father. Picture yourself falling at His feet, in the example that Jesus set, and crying out, “Abba, Father, hear my prayers,” knowing and trusting that He desires you to come to Him and He will hear and answer your prayers. And as you rest in Him, as you draw close to Him, as you build your life on the Rock that is Jesus, you experience the depth of His love. A love that is long enough to last our lifetime and carry you into eternity, long enough to circle the world. A love that is high enough to carry all people, Jews and Gentiles, to heaven. A love that is high enough to celebrate with you in all of the blessings of life, yet deep enough to meet you in your valleys of despair, depression, anger, frustration and sin, but then carry you to the heights of hope, joy, forgiveness, mercy, grace.  

In centering your life in God as Father, in Christ as your Saviour, in the Holy Spirit as your Guide, you position yourself to stand in the floodwaters of His Love. But as you enter His presence you will no longer be able to stand because the power of His Love is far too great to stand. His Love comes rushing as if released from an opened dam. It lifts you off your feet, and carries you effortlessly in its current, soaking you, washing you of the sin that stains you, cleansing you of guilt, refreshing you, renewing you, reviving you in the midst of the humidity of pain and the aches of life. And the longer you are in the current the more you will be transformed by, and into the Love that carries you. When you get out of the water it will be obvious to others that you were in it. You won’t look the same as when you entered. You will be visibly different to the point where others will notice, and when you draw close to them, embracing them, they will experience the Love that drenches you. 

And then you will be drawn back to the water, back to His feet in prayer, again and again, until it is as natural as taking your next breath. Resting in God won’t be something you do as part of your morning devotions, or a simple bedtime prayer, but will be the place you run to over and over throughout your day as you seek Him for wisdom, discernment, and strength! Yes! Strength! A supernatural strength that floods your innermost being with his divine might and explosive power. A power that enables you to do things in His Name that you wouldn’t think possible: loving your enemy, healing the sick, forgiving the one who wrongs you, blessing others, using your spiritual gifts to teach, to offer hospitality, to serve, to offer pastoral care, to evangelize, to prophesy, to encourage, to provide leadership, to show mercy, experience wisdom, the list goes on. And this isn’t merely a little bit of power, it is a divine, explosive power that will do more than you can ask or imagine. 

What are you imagining? For yourself? For your church? Imagine more. Imagine bigger. Imagine better. Imagine resting in God, receiving His Love, then imagine His Power unleashed within you. Then re-imagine what you were originally imagining in light of such Love and Power! 

Rest in Him. Receive His Love. Then Respond in His Power. Just imagine!

A wonderful closing prayer, adapting Paul’s prayer on a personal level. 

Take a moment to pray it for yourself …

I kneel humbly in awe before you, God the Father of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, the perfect Father of every father and child in heaven and on the earth, me included. And I pray that you would unveil within me the unlimited riches of your glory and favour until supernatural strength floods my innermost being with your divine might and explosive power.

Then, by constantly using my faith, the life of Christ will be released deep inside me, and the resting place of his love will become the very source and root of my life.

Then I will be empowered to discover what every holy one experiences—the great magnitude of your astonishing love in all its dimensions. How deeply intimate and far-reaching is your love! How enduring and inclusive it is! Endless love beyond measurement that transcends our understanding—this extravagant love pours into me until I am filled to overflowing with your fullness!

Help me to never doubt your mighty power to work in me and accomplish all this. You will achieve infinitely more than my greatest request, my most unbelievable dream, and exceed my wildest imagination! You will outdo them all, for your miraculous power constantly energizes me.  Ephesians 3:14-20 The Passion, adapted