Our Dependence on God

“For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man; so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love...” Eph. 3:14-17

Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, was eminently a man of prayer. Perhaps the reason his prayer life is more evidenced in Scripture than those of the other apostles is because the Gentiles had little background in prayer.

Discipling new Gentile converts was really working from the ground up. Result: the study of his prayers gives us a basic yet comprehensive example.

In Paul’s second prayer for the Ephesians, found in chapter 3, he makes several requests in their behalf. First he asked that God grant the believers be strengthened with power through the Holy Spirit in the inner man (verse 16). Why? So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith (verse 17).

You are as fully dependent upon the Spirit of God now for growth as you were the day He made it possible for you to exercise faith for salvation. The Holy Spirit gave you the faith to believe. In response to your asking, He will give you the faith that Christ may dwell in your heart.

It is exercising this faith in belief and meditation on Jesus Christ that will change you. This is the knowledge that changes the knower. If you would be more like Christ, ask to be strengthened by the Spirit.

Exercise your new supply of faith on what the written Word says about the Living Word - Jesus Christ. This is your reality. He abides in you.