In Ephesians 3:13-21, the Apostle Paul makes three requests to God for followers of Jesus. First, that they would “be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man.” Our source of strength is the Holy Spirit who is in us. Whenever we trust in ourselves and our own strength we will fail, but when we draw on God’s strength we can have true victory in our lives over the trials and temptations we face.

Second, Paul prays, “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” Now we know that Christ comes to live within us when we accept Him as Savior. This is not in doubt, but the issue here is whether or not He feels at home in us. We often have secret rooms, closets, and spaces that we do not want Him to enter. We are ashamed of them, and at the same time our flesh desires to keep them. For Christ to fully feel at home, we must clean house. We must confess our sins and give those areas of our lives to Him.

The third item Paul prays for is, “that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height – to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” These are two goals that we should constantly be striving for, and we know when Christ comes for His own we will changed and made able to fully comprehend Christ’s love and be filled with all the fullness of God. But in the meantime, my prayer is for each of you who reads this to know more Christ’s love for you and become more like Christ in your love for your neighbor as you are filled by God and emptied of yourself.

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