A Pastor's Prayer

By: Danny Torres
A devotional series on the book of Ephesians

I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit... {Ephesians 3:16 CSB}

One of the most intimate and meaningful moments you can share with someone is prayer. In Ephesians 3 we find this beautiful prayer that Paul prays for the believers in Ephesus. It leads us to believe that the church in Ephesus held a special place in the heart of Paul. So much so that he breaks out into a prayer for them in the middle of his letter.

Among the things he prayed for, he prays for them to be "strengthened with power" in their "inner being through his Spirit." I wonder how many of us could benefit from this very prayer?

​Have you ever experienced a time when you needed inner strength? You see, you can bandage a wound, set a broken bone. But inner wounds aren't so easily repaired.

I bet there have been times when you’ve struggled with a pain deep down inside that no one else knew about, even those closest to you. Do you know what you need in those moments? You need to be, “be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit.”

Perhaps you’re going through financial hardship. An attack on your personhood. Maybe you’re facing relational strife or experiencing hardship within the family. Then for you I pray for inner strength through God’s Spirit.

When all hope seems lost and you feel alone and broken, perhaps God is never more close to you then in that moment.

• The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. {Psalm 34:18 NIV}

This week, let's pray for inner strength through God’s Spirit.