Today's Passage - Ephesians 3:14-16

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Ephesians 3:14-16   "For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.  I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being..."   Paul showed us the example for prayer.  First, he's a man of prayer.  In all his epistles, Paul wrote about his prayer for all churches and brothers and sisters.  Praying in the most important lesson for those who serve God, and we need to learn to pray before we start to serve.  There was a minister who put a motto on his desk: "Do not start working before praying!"  Indeed, it's easy for us to serve by our own might and do things by our own strength.  It's easy to do, but truly serve God but rely on God's work.  Only through prayer are we able to retrieve God's power.   Next, Paul also understood the authority of prayer.  He kneeled before the Father because they know that all authorities in the heaven and earth are from God.  Naming right represents an authority.  If everyone is named by God, it shows that all authorities are in His hands, and that's why we can pray.  Lord has the authority to turn anything around; when we pray, not only will He listen, but He will also make it happen!   Third, Paul knew how to pray.  When Paul prayed, He understood how to hold on to the promises of God.  Therefore, he asked God to accomplish His pray through His glorious riches; not according to what people want, but according to God's glorious riches.  People's ideas are limited, and often we can't come up with anything brilliant no matter how hard we think.  When the Israelites are going through the Red Sea, the sea was ahead of them and there was an army chasing after them; from perspective of men, there seemed to be no way out, but the way of God was right inside the ocean, how miraculous!  Our hearts will be strengthened by God's Spirit when we see how prayer is answered according to the glorious riches of God, not by our own view.   As soon as you understand that God can answer your prayer by His glorious riches, but not by our way, your heart will be encouraged again.  You might have been praying but your own will and there seemed to be no way out, God's Word will suddenly awaken you like a double-edged sword, your heart will be turned around and you will begin to as God to manifest His glorious riches in your.  May God come and strengthen your faith again!                                                                                    Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord, I thank you because you answer our prayer by your glorious.  May the Lord forgive us, because we have relied on our own ways to pray to you before.  Please open our hearts so that we can pray according to your abundant glory, and we ask that you will answer all our prayers.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!