ACCORDING TO THE POWER THAT WORKETH IN US!

GOD SAYS: “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (Ephesians 3:20). If our heart is crying out to be used mightily for the glory of His kingdom on earth, then we must seek closeness with the Lord and live to be filled with His fullness.  We are leaky vessels and we must continually seek the presence of God and His word if we want to be filled with His power. “According to the power that worketh in us” says to me that God can do more than we can ask or think, but He is limited in our lives by the amount of power at work in and through us.

Without seeking more faith, love, power, and holiness from God we cannot be worthy to “come up higher” and see the good things God has prepared for those that love Him. If we want greater power in our lives, we must ask, seek, and knock until God opens the flood gates of the fullness of His Spirit within us. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6). “And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:22-23). Christ wants us to be filled with His fullness so His work can go forth in righteousness and power.

Recently, through prophecy, God made a statement to us as we were praying. He said, “You can be a shallow stream of water which will dry up in certain seasons or you can be filled with ‘rivers of living water,’ which do you choose?” This question faces every child of God! Shallowness will barely keep us alive, but fullness will fill us and the space around us. My heart’s cry is to always be filled with the presence of God. I want to stay filled with the full flow of God’s Spirit. “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).

Jesus came to this earth to destroy the works of Satan. “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). We are called to destroy, not to participate in the works of Satan. “Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God” (1 John 3:9).

Too many of God’s children are walking according to their sinful flesh and are reaping the corruption of sin in their lives. The world around us suffers and remains captive because they cannot see the light, works, miracles, and power of Christ through us. Christ is our living example and image of God. We are called to be the image of Christ to the world. There is only temporary satisfaction in walking according to the dictates of our desires. Our desires make us captive to Satan. God is not willing that any perish and out of His great love, He must allow conditions and circumstances which will drive us into the arms and safety of Christ. “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).

Many Christian families are torn apart because they have allowed sin to rule their lives. If we do not see Christ as the very essence of our life and eternal being, then we will have to be shown “the truth” through reaping our sin in the form of its destruction and corruption in our lives and family. “And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God” (Romans 6:3). “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness?” (Romans 6:16). “For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness” (Romans 6:19).

We are asked to walk worthy of our calling. We are Christ’s workmanship created for good works. When we are not filled with Christ and His Spirit, our working and living for Him can become ineffectual. The signs and wonders of the early church proved the power of God to the world.  We need all the power we can get from God to overcome the ever-increasing wickedness of this world.  We are called to tell the world that Jesus Christ alone is the Savior of the world. Our first step is to give ourselves totally to Christ’s life and power within us. His righteousness, power and fullness of spirit validates His life and Spirit within us.

I began recently to read and pray two prayers that Paul prayed for the Ephesian church.  After two days I began to notice an increase in the power of God flowing through me in prayer and my communication with God. These prayers were meeting the exact cry of my heart. I am going to print them first as Paul wrote them and then as I prayed them daily.

Paul’s Prayer: “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power” (Ephesians 1:17-19). “Which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:23).

My prayer for a greater revelation of God and His word (taken from Paul’s prayer):

Dearest Lord and Savior,

1. Give to me the spirit of wisdom and revelation in my knowledge of You.
2. Enlighten the eyes of my understanding that I might receive the fullness of Your Spirit and power within me.
3. Open my heart and spirit to the unlimited hope of my calling.
4. May I fully understand, appreciate, and be thankful for the riches and glory of my inheritance.
5. Let me fully comprehend the greatness of Your power as it flows to me from Your omnipotence.
6. Fill me with all Your fullness.        Amen.

Paul’s prayer for inner growth: “That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height —  to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:16-19). “To Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen” (Ephesians 3:21). 

My prayer for inner growth and the fullness of God based on Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians:

Dear Father, I come to you in the name of your beloved Son.

1. Grant to me, according to Your riches in glory, to be strengthened through Your spirit in my inner man.
2. May Christ dwell in my heart through ever increasing faith.
3. Firmly root and ground me in Your perfect love.
4. Your love exceeds all knowledge. Help me to fully grasp the width, length, depth and height of Your love. Greatly increase my love for You and Your kingdom.  Help me to love others as I love myself.
5. I want to abide in the fullness of God. Fill me to overflowing.  Make me a river of Your Spirit.
6. Let me never block Your power through sin or unbelief.  Increase my righteousness and make me in Your image.  May my faith be strong enough to destroy the works of Satan.
7. I ask all of these things for Your glory and the glory of Your kingdom. May I always do the master’s work and speak His words.   Amen.

Offer these prayers daily with a sincere desire to be filled with the fullness of God and you will soon find the Spirit creating in you a greater hunger, understanding and knowledge of God.  You will begin to thirst after God and His righteousness.  The Spirit will also help you to find the “perfect will of God for your life” and He will begin to activate you for His service. “And You will seek me and find me, when You search for me with all Your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).  Amen.

In Christ’s love, Anita