prayer for spiritual strength

Those words serve as the uninspired heading to Ephesians 3:14-21. Paul never wrote them. They were added by editors for reading and organizational purposes. Regardless, they quickly became the theme of my Sunday.

Yesterday was my unofficial "send off" day considering my actual departure lands right in the middle of the week. As God ordained, prayer was offered to me on three separate occasions. First, the Sunday School class I am attending was absent of everyone but me. Since it is a membership class with our pastor as the teacher, the two of us had the hour to move through the material quicker and use the remaining time to discuss my trip. We ended with a brief time where he prayed for my time in India. To sum up his prayer, he asked for spiritual strength.

In the service I was officially commissioned to go out spreading the good news of Jesus Christ to all those who crossed my path. Part of the commission including prayer by one of the elders (my dad) on my behalf. To sum up his prayer, he asked for spiritual strength.

For the afternoon, my mom planned a "send off" gathering for some of my prayer team members, small group folks, and friends from college. The day was filled with fellowship and food as we looked back on what God has done, what He is doing, and what He still has yet to do. Before people started scurrying back to their lives, we gathered together for a time of prayer. The focus was me and my trip, but also protection for those committed to praying for me. It was a time where tears (mostly mine) of joy were shed as we caught a glimpse of God's hand at work. To sum up our prayers, we asked for spiritual strength.

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith-that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.