Today’s Podcast
Today’s Scriptures
Today’s Bible reading plans include:
Ready – Ephesians 1:14-23
Set – Proverbs 31; Psalms 33; Ephesians 1
Go! – Proverbs 30-31; Psalms 33; Ephesians 1
Ephesians 1:14-23
14 as the guarantee toward the inheritance we are to receive when He frees and rescues all who belong to Him. To God be all praise and glory!15 This is why, when I heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus that is present in your community and of your great love for all God’s people, 16 I haven’t stopped thanking Him for you. I am continually speaking to Him on your behalf in my prayers. Here’s what I say:
17 God of our Lord Jesus the Anointed, Father of Glory: I call out to You on behalf of Your people. Give them minds ready to receive wisdom and revelation so they will truly know You. 18 Open the eyes of their hearts, and let the light of Your truth flood in. Shine Your light on the hope You are calling them to embrace. Reveal to them the glorious riches You are preparing as their inheritance. 19 Let them see the full extent of Your power that is at work in those of us who believe, and may it be done according to Your might and power.
Friends, it is this same might and resurrection power that 20 He used in the Anointed One to raise Him from the dead and to position Him at His right hand in heaven. There is nothing over Him. 21 He’s above all rule, authority, power, and dominion; over every name invoked, over every title bestowed in this age and the next. 22 God has placed all things beneath His feet and anointed Him as the head over all things for His church. 23 This church is His body, the fullness of the One who fills all in all.
Today’s Devotional
From today’s background scripture God might say:
Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians is a good one to start your devotions. I hear your prayers. I want to answer them. When you open your heart the way Paul suggests in his prayer for the Ephesians you will begin to understand who I am and what I can do for you. Listen to his request again.
“Give them minds ready to receive wisdom and revelation so they will truly know You. Open the eyes of their hearts, and let the light of Your truth flood in. Shine Your light on the hope You are calling them to embrace. Reveal to them the glorious riches You are preparing as their inheritance. Let them see the full extent of Your power that is at work in those of us who believe, and may it be done according to Your might and power.”
When you open My word, pray that prayer. Before your pastor begins his message, pray that prayer. When you meditate on Me and what I have for you, pray that prayer. But instead of them and their, make the prayer personal. Replace those words with your name.
I want to open My word to you. I want you to understand what I have to tell you through My word. I don’t keep secrets from you or make My interests in you or my tasks for you difficult to find. I want to have a personal relationship with you that you know is real and vibrant. That only comes if you spend time with Me and you let Me make My word clear to you.
Paul understood the confusion that abounded in the city of Ephesus. These new Christians were surrounded by false prophets who said they needed to abide by the traditions and laws I laid out for the Israelites. That’s not the command I had for them.
Gnostics tried to spoil the gospel with their belief that the spirit and body were wholly separate and you could behave in any way you wanted with your flesh as long as your spirit remained pure. That isn’t true either. You are one entity until you die and your spirit finds itself in one place dictated by the behavior you exhibited in your earthly shell.
Animists tried to convince these new Christians that God was in everything and the idols they worshiped had supernatural powers and so deserved their worship. Again, not so. I am everywhere, but not in everything. I am God with three personalities, functions, manifestations – Father, Son, and Spirit.
I am beyond understanding, but My message to you is not. So pray for understanding. Pray for wisdom. Pray for discernment. Pray that My truth will flood your mind, soul, and spirit so that you will revel in glory of My presence with you and in you. Understand I will guide you if you let Me. I will lead you into perfect peace, if you will follow Me. I will give you riches the world doesn’t know, if you will be My child.
Put Paul’s prayer in your place of devotion. Put it in the Bible you carry to church. Put it in your prayer journal. Put it in a place you will refer to it often and pray that prayer for your self and those around you whenever My word opens before you.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.