¹⁹ I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power ²⁰ that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. ²¹ Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. ²² God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. ²³ And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.

The Same Spirit

I am convinced that most people don’t believe this passage. It’s one of those parts of the Bible that we read and subconsciously go, “Yeah, yeah, whatever.” We simply do not believe that Paul’s telling the truth.

You see, if we did believe it, we’d live differently. We’d wake up each morning convinced that God was going to do something incredible through our lives that day. It might be something tangible, or it might be something we don’t even see, but God will use us to touch lives in a miraculous way.

And yet, most of us don’t wake up each day believing that. We wake up each day simply hoping to get through the day without screwing up too badly. At best, we hope that in some small way, we might make someone’s life a little better.

That type of thinking simply doesn’t fit in to this passage. Paul is suggesting that the very Spirit of God … the same power that raised Jesus from the dead … is flowing through us as we live out what it means to be the Church.

Perhaps it’s why this is part two of the prayer that Paul had for the Ephesians. He started that prayer yesterday, asking God to give them spiritual wisdom and insight. Today, he is praying that they would comprehend the significance of God’s power.

It’s a good prayer for us as well.

My prayer: I admit it, Lord. Far too often I forget that you are truly all powerful. That your Spirit, the Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, is still alive and working today … through me. It’s so hard to believe that. And so, I simply pray the prayer that Paul had for the Ephesians. Help me understand the incredible greatness of your power. Amen.

Until tomorrow.

¹⁵ Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, ¹⁶ I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, ¹⁷ asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. ¹⁸ I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.

Spiritual Wisdom

Paul tells the Ephesians that he has been praying for them. His prayers have focused specifically on two things. We’ll look at one today and the other tomorrow.

His first focus of prayer is that the Ephesians will have spiritual wisdom and insight. I think his choice of words here is significant. Do you notice he’s not praying for knowledge? You see, I believe there is a huge difference between knowledge and wisdom. And yet, for many, it is the pursuit of knowledge that drives them.

Knowledge is the acquiring of facts. You might call it “book smarts.” I have met some pretty stupid people who have a lot of knowledge. They can quote from a whole bunch of books. They can offer you incredible facts on a variety of subjects. And yet, none of it is actually applicable to their daily life.

Wisdom is when you apply knowledge to your experience. It’s when you take a fact, and then, because of your experiences, you apply that fact to how you live out your daily life. Wisdom comes out of taking the theoretical and making it practical.

But notice that Paul doesn’t pray that the Ephesians will simply gain any kind of wisdom. He’s very specific. He’s praying that they will gain spiritual wisdom. He doesn’t want them to simply gain biblical doctrine. He doesn’t want them to just quote all the words of Jesus and have a decent grasp on Christ’s teachings. No. He is praying for more than spiritual knowledge. He’s praying that they will take all that they’ve learned and apply it to how they live out their daily life.

You see, you can have a lot of knowledge about the power of the Holy Spirit. You can read these Oil Changes each day and gain more knowledge on various books of the Bible. Or, you can go further. You can take what you learn about God in these daily posts and ask God how you can apply them to your day to day life. How can you take this knowledge and allow it to become wisdom?

That is a great prayer.

So, let me pray it today. Lord, I’m not satisfied in simply knowing all about you. I don’t want to simply build a strong understanding of doctrine. I want to apply all this truth to my life. Rather than simply knowing that the Holy Spirit can empower me to live for you, I want to experience his power. I want my knowledge to be transformed into spiritual wisdom. And yet, it’s impossible without you doing it. So, give me spiritual wisdom. Amen.

Until tomorrow.

¹² God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. ¹³ And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. ¹⁴ The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.

The Holy Spirit

I hear it all the time. In fact, I would suggest it’s the most common excuse people give for why they struggle with their spiritual journey. When the words start to come out of their mouths, I want to finish them. I know what they are about to say.

Of course Jesus lived a sinless life. I mean, he’s God! He has an advantage over us. If I were God, I could overcome any temptation too!

The excuse is right on one thing: we’re not God. I’ve driven home that point many times in this devotional, so I wont go into that today. He’s God, we’re not. Period.

But other than that, the excuse is just that … an excuse. And, there’s no foundation for it.

Did you catch what Paul says in this passage? The Holy Spirit – the Spirit of God – lives inside of you! Right now, as you sit in front of your screen, God dwells inside you. He offers you his power, his strength, his anointing. With him, all things are possible. Residing within you is the power to accomplish everything that God calls you to do in life.

Now, let me be clear on this. I’m not saying YOU have the power within yourself. This isn’t some new age – “you can do it!” – baloney. I’m talking about the God who created the universe. Who sustains every living thing. THAT God dwells inside of you. And it is his power that is available to you.

In another place, Paul put it this way: The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you. (Romans 8:11)

So, let’s stop making excuses. Let’s recognize the power of God that is within us, allowing us to serve him with all we are. Today, as you go about your daily routine, take time to recognize the God who resides within. It’s an incredible thought.

My prayer: Holy Spirit, too often I neglect you. I forget that you are even there, present in me. For that I am sorry. But today, I acknowledge your presence. As I do all the things I need to do today, I understand that you are with me, ready to provide me the strength I need to resist temptation and to live fully for you. For that, I am grateful. Amen.

Until tomorrow.