PRAYER FOR LOVED ONE

Ephesians 3: 16-19 contains a prayer that I have decided to pray daily for my husband, my children and their spouses.

I am a firm believer in praying scripture. We always want to pray God's will and when you pray scripture you KNOW that you are praying within the will of God.

Father, I pray today for my husband, my son, my daughter-in-love, my daughter and my son-in-love. I ask Lord that you strengthen them with might [Might denotes superior power and strength, force, the ability to conquer. Gideon was called a 'mighty man of valour' by the Lord and he used him to destroy the Midianites. We need might because from the time we set our feet on the floor in the morning til we lay our heads on our pillow at night, we are at war with the enemy. I I Corinthians 10:4 tells us "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds". Furthermore, Ephesians 6:12 tells us who we are fighting, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Is it any wonder we need to be strengthened with might?! However, as we go to battle, God has already equipped us with all we need to go up against the enemy. He has given us His armor to protect us and to shield us from the fierty darts of Satan. (Ephesians 6: 13-17)]

"with might by His Spirit in the inner man" [The inner man denotes our soul...the seat of our mind, will and emotions. It could also be indicative of our new nature which we received when we received Christ. The new nature does battle with our old nature daily so we pray for God to strengthen our new nature with His might so that we might yield to it more readily than to our old nature.]

I pray that Christ would dwell in their hearts by faith [Dwell...abide...take up residence within. Dwell denotes permanence, being at home there. I want Christ to be at home within my family's heart..not just a passerby. I want them to be so in tune with Him that they respond immediately to whatever He moves them to do. 'By faith' indicates this is a prayer for the believer. Christ does not dwell in an unbeliever's heart.]

I pray that they would be rooted and grounded in their love for You. [Oh that their love would have deep roots, roots that go deep into the soil of God's love. Roots that will keep them strong, immoveable, unshakeable, unwavering in their conviction even when the storms of life toss them to and fro. Grounded, knowing WHO they are and WHOSE they are.]

Lord, may they be able to comprehend [grab hold of, get their minds around, truly KNOW] what is the breadth and length, and depth and height [the sheer magnitude...the unending, immeasureable, unconditional, infinite aspects] of your love which surpasses knowledge [It's more than mental assent that God loves them, but a personal knowing, an intimate relationship with God Almighty.] so that [object of the exercise] they might be filled with all the fulness of God [which will make one complete..."For IN HIM dwells all the fulness of the godhead bodily and you [believers] are complete in Him which is the head of all principality and power." Col. 2: 9,10]

This is a powerful prayer. I cannot think of a greater prayer to pray for someone you love. Maybe you will want to pray this prayer for your loved ones, too. God's word shall not return void.