#1434. I pray that you may be strengthened (20/1/26)

Welcome to this Come to Jesus Daily Devotional (posted, at present, every weekday) as we continue our Ephesians series: Ephesians - To the praise, for the purpose, in the power of God.

In our last reflection, we saw that knowing who we are—God’s dearly loved children—transforms both our identity and our prayers. Today, Paul set us an example in praying for something essential: 

Ephesians 3:16: We need, so let’s pray for, the strengthening of the Holy Spirit.

To watch this devotional, please select the link below: 

1. Paul prays according to God’s glorious riches

Paul begins the description of his prayer by telling us that his prayers are inspired by his belief that God was gloriously rich:

The phrase literally means according to the riches of His glory. God is not poor in power or limited in love - He is infinitely rich in glory, majesty, and strength.

So we can see that our vision of the greatness and glory of God is our greatest inspiration in prayer. 

We are to pray in accordance with who God is in His infinite greatness, rather than, as is often the case, we pray according to our sense of weakness and failure, and so, often, don’t pray at all! But Paul, even from prison, prayed with confidence because he knew God was reigning in glory.

When we see God’s splendour clearly, we’ll pray boldly.

2. Paul prays that they may strengthened

Paul asks that believers would be ‘strengthened with power.’ God’s power isn’t like a flickering battery - He’s an endless source of divine strength flowing from His glory.

Think of plugging a device into a power source. The stronger the source, the greater the potential. Our source is the Creator of the universe! When we pray for ourselves or others to be strengthened, we do so knowing that God has more than enough power to sustain and transform any life or situation.

3. Paul knows that power comes from the Holy Spirit

Paul is clear that strength doesn’t come from mere willpower or human resolve - it comes ‘through His Spirit in your inner being.’

Paul doesn’t think of power impersonally; rather, God’s strengthening and power is His presence. He is our strength and power. 

4. The Spirit strengthens our inner being

He adds that it’s our ‘inner being’ - our spirit or soul - that is strengthened and empowered by the presence and ministry of the Spirit within us, and this, in turn, affects how we think and feel. This strengthening and transformative process is describe in 2 Corinthians in this way:

The Spirit strengthens and gives endurance when our natural strength runs out. When our inner life is alive with His presence, it transforms how we think, feel, and act.

Response

• Do we know that we need, and can receive strength and power, from the Holy Spirit?

• Do we pray for ourselves and others to be empowered by the Spirit?

• Are we nourishing our ‘inner being’ with the Spirit’s presence, or draining it with worldly influences?

Let’s lift our eyes to the One whose glorious riches never run out. He is able to strengthen and sustain us through all things by the power of His Spirit.

Community Group Notes

1. Notices

It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News. 

2. Icebreaker

How has God been speaking to you from His Word this week, and how has this helped you? 

3. Worship together

Let’s begin our time together by lifting our eyes and hearts to worship our great God. Perhaps you have readings and songs that you would like to use together. Let’s be open to the gifts that the Spirit wants to give in order to encourage one another.

4. Study and pray together

Balanced Time Allocation - Please ensure a balanced focus on discussion, SIV (Serve, Invest, and Invite), and prayer so that each section is meaningful and fruitful.

On Sunday, we continued our new series entitled: Ephesians: to the praise, for the purpose, in the power of God. 

Please read Ephesians 3:14-21 and discuss:

• Personal Reflection – From Sunday’s message and this passage, what stood out to you? Was there anything the Spirit particularly impressed on your heart?

• One family, one identity - Paul speaks of the unity of all Christians—particularly Jews and Gentiles—through adoption into God’s family.

• Loving one another well - Paul prays that believers would be ‘rooted and established in love.’ In practical terms, how could we, as a CG, grow in love for one another?

• Learning to pray from Paul’s example - Ephesians 3:14–21 is a model prayer. What does this passage teach us about:

  • What we should pray for?

  • How our prayers should be shaped by who God is?

• God’s power at work in us - What do we learn here about God’s power and the work of the Holy Spirit in believers and in the church?

• Applying this to our prayer life - How might our personal prayers - and our prayers together as a CG and church - change if they more fully reflected the truths of this passage?

SIV (Serve, Invest, and Invite)

• Power and unity -  From our text, what can we learn about God’s power and our loving unity in regard to mission? 

• Sharing Stories – Have you had any recent opportunities to Serve, Invest, or Invite someone toward Jesus? Let’s encourage one another by sharing stories of how we’ve seen God at work through simple faithfulness.

• Practical Next Steps – Who might God be placing on your heart at this time? Are there any “people of peace” (see note) in your life—those who seem open, welcoming, or receptive to spiritual conversation?

Let’s Pray Together

Let’s pray for one another in light of what we’ve studied and bring any other needs before God.

• Pray for courage, wisdom, and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit in our Serve, Invest, and Invite opportunities.

• Pray specifically for the ‘people of peace’ in our lives - that God would open hearts and deepen relationships.

• Ask God to work through us by His power, so that others may come to know Christ.