Daily Bread: Strengthened by the Spirit, Rooted in Love

😇 Shalom to all.
God’s word today:

“For this reason I bow down before the Father, from whom all generations in heaven and on earth receive their name. I PRAY that He, according to the riches of His glory, may strengthen and establish you by His Spirit within you, so that through your faith Christ dwells in your hearts and you are rooted and grounded in love. I PRAY that you together with all the saints may understand how wide and long and high and deep the love of Christ is, and may know that love, though he surpasses all knowledge. I PRAY, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. To Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to the power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, Amen.
(Ephesians 3:14-21 ESV)

From this passage we learn that spiritual growth does not happen by itself, but from God’s help.

Notice, Paul did not pray for wealth, comfort, or worldly success. Paul prays that the congregation will be ‘strengthened by the Holy Spirit within them’. This is important, because the world can weaken us through problems, suffering, worries, through people’s words. But the Holy Spirit strengthens our hearts to remain steadfast and faithful.

Paul also prays that ‘Christ may dwell in the heart through faith’. This means that Christ is not only known as knowledge in the mind, but actually rules and lives in our hearts. The presence of Christ in the heart gives peace, hope, and strength.

Then Paul prays that the congregation ‘understand how wide, long, high and deep the love of Christ is’. Christ’s love transcends our circumstances, beyond our feelings or thoughts. His love does not change even when we are weak in faith. His love remains faithful. Therefore, when we understand the love of Christ, we are not easily shaken, we do not easily despair.

The purpose of Paul’s prayer is ‘that we may be filled with all the fullness of God’. This means that our lives increasingly reflect Christ—in thoughts, words, and deeds.

In the name of Jesus I pray that I may be strengthened within me by the Spirit of God; may ‘Christ dwell in my heart through my faith in the Son of God’; may I be able to ‘understand how wide, long, high, and deep is the love of Christ’; and may I be filled with all the fullness of God so that my life will increasingly reflect Christ. Amen.

Bless you
ps caleblusi