Plug into Love!

   When I think of all this, I fall to me knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 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. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how high, and how deep his love is. 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.
   Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work withing us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.  Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen,  Ephesians 3:14-21NLT

You may have heard that the Bible was written to be lived, not just read. Above is Scripture worth living. I encourage you to ponder Paul's prayer for the Ephesians found in chapter 3. Paul really cared for the believers in Ephesus, and he wanted the very best for them.  Since we are now disciples of Jesus, this prayer was meant for us, too.

Notice that "power" is the main thing Paul asks God for his beloved friends. A simple definition of power in science is the ability to accomplish work. Paul doesn't pray his disciples be strong, rather that their strength come through the Holy Spirit. He reminds the readers that God has unlimited, infinite resources, so is able to give us as much as we will ever need. Note he asks for "inner strength", not physical power.

We read that once we have been given inner strength through the Holy Spirit, then, progressively, Christ will make his home in our hearts.  In Colossians 3:9,10 tells us that when we have Jesus, who is the "fullness of God", we are complete, lacking nothing.  As we learn to trust Jesus, our "roots", those things we rely on for sustenance, will be established, rooted, in Christ's love, not in some exterior source.

Don't miss this, as I did.  Something in us is searching for God, like the roots of a plant in dry soil, Our spirits recognize that only God's love has the power to sustain us, to fill us with his life and strength. So, the more we allow God to fill us with his love, the stronger we become and the more ability we have to accomplish what we are created to be and to do.

The more we experience God's love, the more we understand that the power within us can accomplish infinitely more than we ever imagined.  Therefore, God does not want us to just read about his love, but to really experience the power of it.  We do that by consciously coming into his presence. (Eph.3:12) Empowered by Christ's love, we can change environments, bring the lost to Christ, intercede for others, bring healing, comfort and transforming truth to the wounded, and infinitely more.

God's unlimited power is accessible to us in abundance through allowing him to root us in Jesus' love.  So, let's ask the Holy Spirit to strengthen our faith, so we can be filled to overflowing with the powerful love of God. Let's ask Jesus how we wants to use us as we are empowered by him.  It's time to plug into his love!

Pray with me: Father God, thank you that you gave me the way to rely on your strength to accomplish all that you created me to be and do.  Plug me into Jesus' love now!  I want to experience more of you and your power.  Holy Spirit, teach me to pray Paul's prayer and multiply my faith, so I can remain strong and bring Jesus much glory.  In Jesus' powerful name. Amen.

Dear friend, be blessed as you pray Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3 for yourself and others.  Be surprised by the power available to you by faith.  Be blessed as you are filled and overflow with God's love. Amen.