“For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.” 1 Corinthians 4:20
When the Lord Jesus began His ministry, after the wilderness experience of being tempted by Satan, Scripture tells us that He “…returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee.” (Luke 4:14) In the book of Isaiah, we discover the declaration concerning the Spirit of God “resting” upon the Lord Jesus, “…the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and MIGHT…” (Is. 11:2) Why is it that the element of power in the anointing of Christ, and later in the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost, is so very important, and prominant, in the life and ministry of Christ and of the church? The Apostle Paul would even write to Timothy, his son in the faith: “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Tim. 1:7) The power of God, by the Spirit, whether manifested in the life of Christ, or every member of the body of Christ, is essential if there would be the coming of the kingdom of God in every heart who will believe. Essential to entering that kingdom is power. Essential to living in that kingdom on earth is the power of God by the Spirit. There is no way whereby a believer, the Lord Jesus being our perfect example, can live victoriously in the atmosphere of unbelief in the world, face the opposing enemy of our souls, and overcome all resistance within and without, to see Christ’s kingdom come and his will be done, without the power of God. But we must be clear. Power is not just force, strength, an overcoming capacity and ability. IT IS A PERSON. In Paul’s letter to the Roman believers of his day, in speaking of living IN the kingdom of God, and knowing its blessings, he wrote: “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 14:17) What is he saying here? It is simply that Christ IS our power and strength. The Psalms have numerous references to this fact and reality. God IS our strength, our power, our “energy” if you will. It is by His strength and power that we, although very limited and sinful creatures, are enabled to deny ourselves, cut all cords of trusting in self or anything else, to follow Christ, that we begin to know as Paul wrote, “…the power of His (Christ’s) resurrection.” (Phil 3:10) Knowing these things concerning the power of God is essential, but how do they become real to us, to the point that we KNOW them, live by them, and thus KNOW Christ increasingly?
For the Ephesian believers, Paul understood that they needed first of all a vision, God’s perspective of the reality of Christ’s power, that which belongs to every believer IN Him. So, Paul writes down a prayer, not only for the sake of God’s blessing upon the believers, but primarily so that they individually will pray the same prayer, even thousands of years after Paul’s death, and know the reality of answered prayer specific in regard to power. His prayer for a vision was as follows in praying to the “God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory …,” “…that He may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him…that ye may know…what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power.” (Eph. 3:17,18,19) Will God answer such a prayer? Yes. Can we believe Him to do so? Yes. Wesley confirms this: “…Lord, I can, I do, believe in Thee; All things are possible to me.”
The second prayer is for the actual power. “That He would grant you…to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man.” (3:16) Here is the specific prayer for power, strengthening, quickening. It is the prayer for God to “…pour His power into us when we need it,” according to the measure of specific need.
Dear Father, Fill us with Thy power. In Jesus’ name, Amen.