PRAYING FOR NEW BELIEVERS (PART 2)

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to Gods4all@aol.com

In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

Ephesians 3:16-17a

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Multitudes of people around the world make their most important choice ever and believe in Jesus as Savior to gain eternal life. These baby Christians are as vulnerable as newborn babies who grow into infancy and toddlership. They need the help and prayers of fellow believers as they continue to grow stronger and more mature in their Savior, every day striving to be more like Him.

Yesterday, we started to look at a prayer the Apostle Paul offered up to the new Christians in Ephesus, identifying elements that we can use ourselves as we pray for new believers today. In the first devotion in this series, we saw how we need to pray for the Lord’s strength to be with those who have just accepted Jesus as Savior. Today, we see how we also need to ask for the believer’s faith to remain steadfast and the reason why this is of critical importance. Look again at today’s scripture passage from Ephesians, chapter 3:

I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. Vv. 16-17a

The Gospel is grounded in faith. There isn’t any tangible act that needs to be carried out, no salvation challenge one needs to take on and pass in order to be saved. Neither is there a written or oral exam administered that a person needs to pass in order to graduate and earn the right to be a Christian.

The only thing required is to step out on faith and simply believe in a Savior who is alive but as unseen as the God who sent Him, the God who is the Maker and Master of Creation.

When a new believer does this, when they choose to just trust and believe in Jesus, then something incredible happens. Jesus enters the new disciple and dwells in their heart, ever present to lead and guide them in His ways.

As we permit God the Father to strengthen our inner being with His power, then Christ becomes the engine that drives us through life. He truly becomes the Way and the Truth that we can follow (John 14:6) and be assured we will never go wrong.

Friends, this should be our prayer for all new believers and for more experienced Christians as well, that they always allow God’s power and strength to strengthen their inner being so that they will always have Christ within them and not the enemy Satan. For Jesus is the only One who can walk us down the path of righteousness that God wants us to travel.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to Gods4all@aol.com