Ephesians 3: 16-19
“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. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
A pastor once said, “Do you want your kids to be safe or do you want them to be strong? This gave me much to ponder as my husband and I we were in the midst of raising two teen-aged daughters at the time who were learning to drive. My first visceral reaction was, “I want them safe!” He went on to say that we can try to keep them safe by protecting our children from life—hello, “helicopter moms”—without giving them any ability to cope or strength to protect themselves, or we can help them become strong, with the risk that they won’t be safe. No doubt about it, that’s a hard choice!
The Apostle Paul knew what it meant to not be “safe.” He experienced imprisonment for about five years during his ministry, part of the time in a literal prison cell, and another under house arrest. It was during that period that he wrote the “Prison Epistles,” one of which was the Epistle to the Ephesians from which our verses come today. This prayer, coming from an epistle that was circulated among many churches, never mentions a request that the believers be safe, but rather his prayer is that they would be strong: “I pray…He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit…“ Hearing what was going on with Paul and witnessing persecution firsthand themselves, the folks in the churches no doubt wanted some serious warrior prayers for their safety! But God, through Paul, opted to encourage them to depend on the strength they possessed from within.
Though I will never cease to pray for the safety of my loved ones as they navigate life in this very dark and hate-filled world, I believe the Lord doesn’t guarantee that our lives will be safe. But He does provide His power to make us strong. It is through His power that the strong survive so that we may see the mighty works of the Lord and give Him glory. I would encourage you, dear readers, to commit to praying today’s verses over your children and grandchildren, so that they would find their safety in the One who makes them strong.
Father in Heaven, we thank you for the example of Paul, who demonstrated utmost strength throughout his times in unsafe situations. Dear God, You are our protector and strength, and under Your wings we find refuge. May our families, especially those most vulnerable—our children and grandchildren—find their safety in You. We also pray that we will have strength to endure the hard times, the scary times, and the dangerous times we live in. As You fight for us and defend us against our enemies every day, may we always remember to give You praise and glory for Your mighty hand which is upon us. It’s in the name of the One who loves us deeply, Jesus, we pray. Amen.
~ painting by Jennifer Hanson Rolli
