God's Power for You Today

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms. (Eph. 1:17-20)

Since it was in Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians and since it is in the Scripture, this is an inspired prayer. Therefore, it is a prayer that God will answer. The prayer requests are for the Ephesians in the present while they are still alive: “…that you may know the hope…that you may know the riches…that you may know his incomparably great power.” Paul is praying that they will know this power now.

Verses 19 and 20 describes what this power is: “That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms.”

Paul requests more of this power in Ephesians 3:14-21. The power is mentioned three times. We can see it in the present tense in Ephesians 3:20: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us…” Ephesians 6:10 also lets us know that this power is available now: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.”

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness” (2 Peter 1:3).

In each case, this incomparably great power, this mighty power, this divine power, is meant for believers today.

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