FILLED WITH GOD
Today’s Reading: Ephesians 3
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
Our 100words.ca photographer, my eldest son, opened his Bible to Ephesians and placed it among the ruins of ancient Ephesus on a door entrance to what was probably a Christian’s home or place of business. The circle with the symbols secretly represented the Christian faith. The other dark circles were so that people would not slip when entering.
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verses: Ephesians 3:17-19
That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; 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.
Just imagine the overcoming strength Paul has received from God. He is writing this from a prison in Rome. Paul takes on the principalities and powers which manifest themselves in Caesar, the ruler who claimed to be a god. Who is truly free, and who is the prisoner?
Paul’s prayer is not just for the believers at Ephesus, but for us too! To be filled with all the fullness of God means that we will be fuller than we were before when we were already full. How can this be? Our capacity for God living in us has expanded because of God answering Paul’s prayer! Let us keep topping up every day without fail! Here is a three-step plan for becoming more like Jesus: (1) Be strengthened with power through His Spirit, (2) Understand that Christ dwells in our hearts by faith, and (3) Get a grasp on the fact that Christ loves us totally.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Father, I am making Paul’s prayer mine and praying it word for word. Your answer to this prayer is “Yes!”…a thousand times “Yes!” I’m reading Ephesians 3:14-21 again and again. To You “be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
From my earliest days in public ministry, I established a practise of spending as much time in prayer as I spent in preparation for ministry. Keeping a balance between head and heart is vitally important. When the 100 Huntley Street daily telecast began June 15th, 1977, I knew that I was not to go on air unless I had spent at a minimum the same amount of time in prayer as I would spend on TV. I believe the Lord clearly showed me that failure to do this would result in my own thoughts being expressed and not His thoughts. I suggest we read Isaiah 55:6-13. How does one get wet when it’s raining? Just go out in the rain with the umbrella down. How does one get soaked in God’s thoughts? Through much prayer and the reading of God’s Word. His Word contains His thoughts!
Yours for learning how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,
David
The Church of Mary in Ephesus, built around 200 AD, is a church of great historical significance. It is also known as the Double Church, because it is thought one aisle was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and the other to St. John. It has also been referred to as the Council Church, because the Council of Ephesus is believed to have been held here. It is the first church to take Mary’s name and the site of two important ecumenical councils in 431 and 449, in which the natures of Christ and Mary were hotly disputed.
In Goreme Cappadocia in Turkey, the people built their homes into cone shaped hills and in Kaymakli they excavated deep below the ground for their city. These troglodyte cave-cities were excavated as early as Hittite times, and were expanded over the centuries as various marauding armies traversed Central Anatolia in search of captives and plunder. There are 36 underground cities in Cappadocia.
From today’s reading:
“Paul’s Prayer for Spiritual Growth
When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.”
Amen Rob, amen. How blessed we are to have had David Mainse walk the earth the same time as we. There are also many preachers and teachers of God’s precious Word on this earth now and I pray fervently that each one will bring millions to Him, daily, if it be God’s Will.
Thank you all dear bloggers for your prayers for the safety from fires for the people of Alberta and their helpers.
Blessings on all Saints.
Thank You Lord for Your Word. Agreeing with prayers for those who were displaced by the fires. May they recover well and turn to our Heavenly Father. May the whereabouts of Nathan be made known. Father, lead searchers to the place where he is, in Jesus Name, amen.
Doreen, Amen to your prayer.
May God bless everyone who reads this blog,
in Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.
Amen to the comments and prayers above also thank you God for today’s reading and today’s key verse is the heart is my heart’s cry and prayer
As always please continue to pray for Nathan 🙏 he’s been missing now for for what seems like forever but as always that he would be found safe and sound as the search continues ✝️🙏 amen
Amen… what a beautiful glorious prayer to join in, and pray together with you all.
Praying for our country along with you all, and for Nathan and for his loved ones, Lord hear our prayer!
Amen to the prayers above. Thanks for the election results in Alberta and praying for all the places fires are burning out of control, Alberta, the Maritimes, Northern Ontario, and Manitoba. I pray that if the rumours are true that many of these fires are being deliberately set that the hand and word of God gets to those people and stops them in their tracks.
Marilyn, a few days ago you commented that your plea for prayer for Nathan was like a broken record. Please know that we understand your concern and your commitment to prayers for him and his family.. I know when you don’t post for prayers, I wonder what has happened, was the news good, or not good, so please continue to post and update. I am confident that the Lord doesn’t consider our prayers as a broken record. May God bless each and every blogger.