May 21 Devotion - Strengthen me Lord

Ephesians 3:14-21 New International Version

¹⁴For this reason I kneel before the Father, ¹⁵from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. ¹⁶I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, ¹⁷so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

²⁰Now 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, ²¹to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

¹⁴بِسَبَبِ هذَا أَحْنِي رُكْبَتَيَّ لَدَى أَبِي رَبِّنَا يَسُوعَ الْمَسِيحِ، ¹⁵الَّذِي مِنْهُ تُسَمَّى كُلُّ عَشِيرَةٍ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَعَلَى الأَرْضِ. ¹⁶لِكَيْ يُعْطِيَكُمْ بِحَسَبِ غِنَى مَجْدِهِ، أَنْ تَتَأَيَّدُوا بِالْقُوَّةِ بِرُوحِهِ فِي الإِنْسَانِ الْبَاطِنِ، ¹⁷لِيَحِلَّ الْمَسِيحُ بِالإِيمَانِ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ، ¹⁸وَأَنْتُمْ مُتَأَصِّلُونَ وَمُتَأَسِّسُونَ فِي الْمَحَبَّةِ، حَتَّى تَسْتَطِيعُوا أَنْ تُدْرِكُوا مَعَ جَمِيعِ الْقِدِّيسِينَ، مَا هُوَ الْعَرْضُ وَالطُّولُ وَالْعُمْقُ وَالْعُلْوُ، ¹⁹وَتَعْرِفُوا مَحَبَّةَ الْمَسِيحِ الْفَائِقَةَ الْمَعْرِفَةِ، لِكَيْ تَمْتَلِئُوا إِلَى كُلِّ مِلْءِ اللهِ. ²⁰وَالْقَادِرُ أَنْ يَفْعَلَ فَوْقَ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ، أَكْثَرَ جِدًّا مِمَّا نَطْلُبُ أَوْ نَفْتَكِرُ، بِحَسَبِ الْقُوَّةِ الَّتِي تَعْمَلُ فِينَا، ²¹لَهُ الْمَجْدُ فِي الْكَنِيسَةِ فِي الْمَسِيحِ يَسُوعَ إِلَى جَمِيعِ أَجْيَالِ دَهْرِ الدُّهُورِ. آمِينَ.

Colossians 1:11

May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy,

مُتَشَدِّدِينَ بِكُلِّ قُوَّةٍ مُوَافِقَةٍ لِقُدْرَةِ مَجْدِهِ، لِتَتَمَكَّنُوا تَمَاماً مِنَ الاحْتِمَالِ وَطُولِ الْبَالِ،

Philippians 4:13

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

إِنِّي أَسْتَطِيعُ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ، فِي الْمَسِيحِ الَّذِي يُقَوِّينِي.

Zechariah 10:12

I will make them strong in the Lord, and they shall walk in his name,” declares the Lord.

وَأُشَدِّدُهُمْ بِالرَّبِّ فَيَسْلُكُونَ بِمُقْتَضَى اسْمِهِ، يَقُولُ الرَّبُّ.

Isaiah 40:29-31

He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

يَهِبُ الْمَنْهُوكَ قُوَّةً وَيَمْنَحُ الضَّعِيفَ قُدْرَةً عَظِيمَةً. إِنَّ الشَّبِيبَةَ يَنَالُهَا الإِعْيَاءُ وَالإِرْهَاقُ، وَالْفِتْيَانُ يَتَعَثَّرُونَ أَشَدَّ تَعَثُّرٍ، أَمَّا الرَّاجُونَ الرَّبَّ فَإِنَّهُمْ يُجَدِّدُونَ قُوَّتَهُمْ، وَيُحَلِّقُونَ بِأَجْنِحَةِ النُّسُورِ. يَرْكُضُونَ وَلاَ يُعْيُونَ. يَمْشُونَ وَلاَ يَتْعَبُونَ.

If you are like me, then you probably sometimes struggle with feelings of inadequacy in the face of a task that God has set in front of you. Inadequacy’s roots are fear of failure, fear of disappointing people and more importantly fear of disappointing God.

As believers we need to ask God to strengthen us through The Holy Spirit. The power of the Holy Spirit is the supernatural tool God has given to equip and enable us believers. The power of the Holy Spirit is to do the work God calls us to accomplish. God has given us a spirit of power, not of timidity- 2 Timothy 1:7

Serving others, loving our enemies, building up one another in the faith, sharing Christ, and exercising our spiritual gifts are possible only through the Holy Spirit’s power. We need The Holy Spirit support and power to live the Christian life, to be loving, kind, gentle, patient, joyous, self–controlled, and peaceful.

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, please guide me and strengthen me to change my ways so as to rely totally on Your wisdom and counsel through The Holy Spirit; whom You sent to me in the name of Jesus. LORD, I pray that out of Your glorious riches You strengthen me with power through Your Spirit in my inner being, so that Christ may dwell in my heart through faith for all endurance and patience with joy. I shall wait for You Lord to renew my strength to mount up with wings like eagles; to run and not be weary or faint and to do all things that are according to Your will through Christ’s strength. Adonai, thank You for Your abundant blessings and deep inseparable love for me. God I praise You, revere You, worship You, I stand in awe of You, I lift You up on high, and glorify Your holy name. I declare Jesus as my Lord and Saviour and I pray in His Holy Name. To Him be the power, the glory, the majesty, the blessings, and the dominion before all time, now, and forever. Amen.

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein