“That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.”
—Ephesians 3:16-17

Reflection

Beloved, I want you to know that there is more to you than meets the eye. You have an inner man that the Spirit of God wants to fill with His power.

In Ephesians 3, the apostle Paul makes intercession for believers, asking Father to strengthen us with power through His Spirit in our inner man. This is the same power that raised Yeshua from the dead. Paul is praying that we would be strengthened by that power deep inside us.

Over thirty years ago, I had a dramatic encounter that made this truth a reality to me. During a time when I was going through a deep season of repentance in my life, the Spirit of God supernaturally filled me from above.

He literally came down through my head and took hold of my inner man. I was keenly aware of what was happening. I felt the Spirit of Elohim Himself, the Spirit of the living God, travel through my head and take hold of something deep inside me.

In the midst of this experience, I knew I had what the Word of God calls our inner man because I felt the Spirit of the Lord come in and actually speak to me through that inner man.

That is what Father wants to do for you. He wants to release life and power by His Spirit into your inner man to build you up for His glory.

Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3 reveals eternal truths that reflect God’s heart for His children throughout all ages, not just for those who lived when Paul was alive on earth two thousand years ago.

As we understand the divine realities contained in this prayer, we will learn how to focus our prayers on the things that matter to God. Scripture assures us that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us (1 John 5:14–15).

Notice also that Paul prayed that we would be strengthened in our inner man according to the riches of His glory.

The word glory in Scripture most often refers to God making His power manifest on the earth in a way that human beings actually experience. It has to do with God making Himself visibly seen or tangibly experienced in people’s lives.

Beloved, Father wants to strengthen you with His power through His Spirit. His desire is that you experience His life and power in your inner man, according to the riches of His glory.

Application

• Make Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:16 personal. Ask Father to strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner man.
• As you pray, focus on the things that matter to God, believing that He hears you when you ask according to His will.

Prayer

Father God, thank You that there is more to me than meets the eye and that You desire to fill my inner man with Your power. Strengthen me through Your Spirit according to the riches of Your glory. I want to experience Your life and power working deep inside me. Teach me to focus my prayers on the things that matter to You and to trust that You hear me when I pray according to Your will. Build me up for Your glory, and let Yeshua dwell in my heart through faith. In Yeshua’s mighty name, amen.