Tuesday, Mar 19 | Ephesians 3:14-20 | Mary Splawn
My daughter has a Power Wheels vehicle. It is a lot of fun to play with…until its battery goes dead. Then we have to plug it into a power source to recharge. Three times in these verses, Paul mentions power. First in Ephesians 3:16, he prays for the power of the Spirit that sustains faith. Then in Ephesians 3:18, he intercedes for the people to have the power to understand the expanse of God’s love. And then in Ephesians 3:20, he asks for God’s power to be at work in believers to do greater things than they could imagine. It is evident that in each intercession, power comes from taking time to plug into our relationship with God.
I’d like to highlight three other places where the power of God is provided! First, in Luke 1:35, Gabriel tells Mary that she will give birth to Jesus. He says, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.” The same powerful God who conceived Jesus is still at work in us creating, sustaining, and providing us with understanding and faith.
Spiritual power is also mentioned at the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. Luke 4:14 says that “Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit.” Interestingly, Jesus has just returned from His tempting in the wilderness, where He didn’t display physical power to overcome the devil - rather He fights temptation with the powerful Word of God. The same powerful Word of God helps us to know our Savior and to overcome temptation.
Finally, in Luke 24:49, right before Jesus ascends to heaven, the theme of power resurfaces. Jesus tells His disciples to “stay in the city until [they] have been clothed with power from on high.” The power from the Spirit helped the disciples be witnesses of Christ to the world! This same Spirit that empowered the first disciples still works in us for the glory of the Lord.
Yet, often we don’t acknowledge, appreciate, or appropriate this power. We do not take time to plug in and recharge in the presence of our Lord. If this is the case for you, start anew today! Pray that the power of God would be evident in your life.
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