“I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit (Eph 3:16 NLT). This is Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians. He also prays for the Colossians to be “strengthened with all power according to His glorious might to attain every kind of endurance and patience with joy” (Col 1:11 RSV). I believe the kind of strength Paul is praying for is an inner strength which would enable them to be patient and joyful in all circumstances.

1 Tim 1:12 (NLT) says, “I thank Jesus our Lord who has given me strength to do His work”. A different word for strength is used here in the Greek, “endynamoo” which means to increase in strength and also to enable. The same word is used in 2 Tim 4:17 (NKJV), “The Lord stood with me and strengthened me so the message might be preached fully through me.” These 2 verses are talking about strength for God’s service but it is still a strengthening or enabling that comes from God. Another verse using this same word is Eph 6:10 (AMP), “Be strong in the Lord (draw your strength from Him and be empowered through your union with Him) and in the power of His (boundless) might”. Phil 4:13 is a very familiar and often quoted verse but I love it in the Amplified Bible, “I have strength for all things in Christ who empowers me (I am ready for anything and equal for anything through Him who infuses strength into me. I am self sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency)”. Wow!

These verses all encourage us to rely on God’s strength (rather than our own) so we can be strong as Christians and in God’s service and as a result be more useful to God. I don’t know about you but I need that kind of strength!