Pray like Paul
Remember that God never intends for your maturity to be hoarded. It is best that it be used as a tool to harden others in healthy ways. One way that Paul did this was to write letters, but we see from letters like this that he also prayed. He prayed for the maturity of the Ephesian believers. “I pray that you will be strengthened in your inner being,” is how he wrote of it.
Perhaps it is difficult for you to know how to pray for others. Look to Paul and pray that way. It is good. Again, it needs practicing. Don’t just agree with this and move to the next point. Rather, park that concept in your mind to pick up later when you are about some mundane task. If you can mow your lawn or pull weeds, inflate the tires or your car or caulk your roof without thinking about that process good. Let your hands do the task and let your mind pray for your spouse, your children, your colleagues or whomever else the Holy Spirit slides into your thoughts.
Christ’s dwelling in our hearts
Look next at our 17th verse.
17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith…(Ephesians 3:17a–ESV)
This verse follows on to our epoxy talk, our roofer’s caulk talk. The result of being strengthened in our hearts is the indwelling of Christ. This verse is speaking of the character of Christ. The man Jesus does not dwell in our hearts, that is the role of the Holy Spirit. Christ’s character, though, does.
Its doing so is faith based. Much of what we are speaking of in these verses relates to a steadfast inner spirit. That type thing is not once and done, but now, and now, and now, etc. Faith, constant Faith, needs effort upon effort, and is much more like a stream than a lake. It needs constant flow, but that flow in moment-by-moment experience results in changed and bolstered lives and accrues glory to God.
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