DATE POSTED Monday, 2022-10-17
WRITTEN AT: Okeechobee, FL
SCRIPTURE FROM: Ephesians 3:16-19
TRANSLATION: Good News Translation (GNT)
BIBLE TEXT: 16 I ask God from the wealth of his glory to give you power through his Spirit to be strong in your inner selves, 17 and I pray that Christ will make his home in your hearts through faith. I pray that you may have your roots and foundation in love, 18 so that you, together with all God’s people, may have the power to understand how broad and long, how high and deep, is Christ’s love. 19 Yes, may you come to know his love—although it can never be fully known—and so be completely filled with the very nature of God.
APPLICATION: I was deeply moved by Paul’s prayer for the Ephesian church. What do you suppose would happen if our pastors today had such a deep commitment to their churches, that they would pray that each member or attendee might be filled with the nature of God. Can you imagine the impact this would have on a community, to encounter family, neighbors, friends, and coworkers that not only say they are Christian, but whose nature reflects the Christ that they claim to belong to? At a previous church that I attended, there was a group study that I missed because of work obligations. It was entitled ‘The Mind of Christ’. If we were impacted by Paul’s prayer, or if we tried to imitate the life and teachings of our Lord, can you imagine the difference we would find in our homes, workplaces, local stores, the customer support associates that we deal with over the phone, and yes, even our fellow church members? Friends let’s remember that it’s not just Paul, or our pastors that should pray for such acts of God among His people, it’s folk like you and I that should pray for a move of God first and foremost in our own lives, then in the hearts and lives of those we know. Additionally, if we are committed to be more like our Master and Lord, then we would make it a priority each day to study His Book of Instruction – His Holy Word. For that is where the Holy Spirit inspires us to seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, so that all these things will be given to us. Let me encourage you to make it your personal goal to be filled with the nature of God, and aim at having the mind of Christ in all that you think, do and say. Set the example for others to follow. Let them see Jesus in you, so that they too may desire a walk that exemplifies Jesus Christ. Unbelievers often need to see this practiced before they could believe something preached to them, or that they may even read for themselves. Let them see and experience Jesus when they meet you, my friend.
BLESSING(S) NOTED: Trees and plants thrive and are productive when their roots are embedded in soil that is rich in nutrients. I believe that our lives will become much more productive for the Kingdom, when our lives are completely filled with the nature and mind of Jesus Christ!
PRAYER: Lord, please have Your perfect will and way in the lives of Your children today. For I believe that if we stop interfering with your work, perhaps more family and friends will see You at work in us and want a personal relationship with You also. You placed us here on earth to facilitate Your work, not to obstruct its effectiveness to the unsaved. Lord, for those who have surrendered our hearts to You, please give us a burning desire to be just like You while allowed to remain on earth. Please fill us with Your precious nature and Your heart, so that we might represent You in ways that others will desire in order to know and accept You as Lord. AMEN!
FOOTNOTE: There are two more pages on my blog that will provide you with additional information, one of them being ‘To Know Jesus’. If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please click on the above page, or speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Please allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog might indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to Nuggets From God’s Word and read more, or you may freely subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. You may also visit me on Spotify and listen to Nuggets while you’re out and about. I would encourage you to find a church home near by your home, and attend as frequently as you could. Get to know God, and allow His people to encourage and strengthen you in your Christian walk, while making every effort to be a blessing to them. God is at work among His people! Please consider growing in your faith, as you worship with fellow believers!