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Wednesday, November 23, 2016

Praying Ephesians 1

Lord, may Your grace and peace pour into our lives. You are holy. Take us to the high places of blessing with You. Before You laid down the foundations of the earth, You had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of Your love. Long ago, You decided to accept us as Your own. What pleasure you took in planning this! You wanted us to enter into the extravagant grace of your beloved son, Jesus. Because of Your sacrifice and suffering, we are free--free from the penalties and punishments of our misdeeds. Not just barely free but abundantly free. You thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans you took such delight in making. You set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in You, everything in deepest heaven and on earth.
It is in relationship with You, Jesus, that we hear the truth and believe it, find ourselves home free--signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This seal from God is the first sign of what is coming, a reminder that we’ll get everything God has planned for us--a praising, glorious life.
I thank you Lord, for the solid trust that you evoke in us. I ask you, Jesus, to make us intelligent and discerning in knowing you personally, our eyes focused and clear, so that we can see exactly what it is You are calling us to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life you have planned for us. May we experience the endless energy and boundless strength of Your power working through us, as we trust in You. All this energy issues from You, Christ. God raised You from death and set You in power--in charge of running everything, forever. At the center of all of this, You rule the congregation of all those who trust in You. You speak, act, and fill everything with Your presence, through those who trust in You.

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