Face Tribulations with Prayer

 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 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 (Eph 3:14-19 NKJV).

Paul was concerned that the believers in Ephesus would be discouraged seeing Paul’s tribulations.  So, he says to them, I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory (Eph 3:13b NKJV). Then, he prays for them.

Paul prays that they would be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man. Tribulations create stress and worry. He asks the Father to fill their hearts with power to endure whatever might come. Hopefully, you will never experience the kind of tribulations Paul did. However, there will be times in life when pressures will seem overwhelming. When those times come, our resource is God’s Spirit. We should make supplications to the Father with thanksgiving, then we may have peace (Philippians 4:6-7).

Of course, our asking must be in faith (James 1:6). So, Paul prays for their faith. Do you ask God to strengthen your faith? James says He gives to all men liberally without reproach (James 1:5). So ask, let prayer be your first line of defense.

Most importantly, seek to meditate on God's love. Think of the great sacrifice Jesus made on the cross. Consider how He laid down His life for you, a sinner. Then, remember how God is all-powerful. Nothing is outside of His knowledge or control.

Take Him at His word when He says, all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28b). Also, know this, when you pray for God’s strength. Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God (Rom 8:26-27 NKJV).

Face Tribulations with Prayer. Amen.