“And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19-20, Message Bible).
The following are prayers you can pray to strength your inner being. I will use the acrostic FELLOWSHIP, because it’s all about fellowship and intimacy with God. This is our highest calling in life. Take hold of this and apply these prayers to your personal life on a regular basis. Build your spiritual muscles that will last, not only for this life, but for all of eternity. These prayers, adapted from Mike Bickle and the International House of Prayer, will strengthen your inner being:
- Fear of God – “Lord, release the spirit of the fear of the Lord into my heart. Strike my heart with Your majesty, Your power, Your glory, (name other attributes of God). Unite my heart to Your heart to fear Your name (Psalm 86:11). May my delight be in the fear of the Lord (Isaiah 11:3).”
- Endurance – “Father, strengthen my spirit with endurance and patience so that I may do Your will and endure any test that I am facing with Your joy (name any trial that is tempting you to quit) (Colossians 1:11). Direct my heart into the patient endurance of Christ (2 Thessalonians 3:5). Impart to me Your zeal (John 2:17).
- Love – “Lord, I want to experience Your love. Pour it into my heart and give me revelation of Your love for me. Let it overflow back to You. Direct my heart into Your love (2 Thessalonians 3:5, Romans 5:5), and set me as a seal on Your heart (Song 8:6-7). Help me to love You with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength (Matthew 22:37). Teach me to abide in Your love, and help me to abound in love toward others (John 15:9, 1 Thessalonians 3:12).”
- Light of Glory – “Lord, show me the light of Your glory. I want to encounter You on a deeper level. Lift up the light of Your countenance on me, and cause Your face to shine on me (Psalm 4:6, 80:3). Send out Your light and truth. Let them lead me and bring me to Your holy hill (Psalm 43:3). Open my eyes to see everything from Your perspective.”
- One Thing Life Focus – “Lord, I choose to be a person of one thing. I choose to sit at Your feet. Align my life circumstances so that I can keep focused on You. Let me behold Your beauty (Psalm 27:4). Help me to pray Your Word and dialogue with You as I read it. Teach me to mediate and set You always before me (Psalm 16:8).
- Worthy and faithful – “Lord, I want to be faithful to You all my life. Strengthen me to be faithful. Consider me worthy to walk in my highest calling in this age and the age to come (2 Thessalonians 1:11).”
- Sanctify me – “Lord, sanctify me completely. May my spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless without compromise at the coming of our Lord (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Establish my heart blameless in holiness (1 Thessalonians 3:13). Set a guard over my mouth and keep watch over the door of my lips (Psalm 141:3). Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to You (Psalm 19:14).”
- Humility – “Lord, I want to learn to walk in lowliness and humility of heart. Teach me humility in my attitudes, my speech, and my actions (Matthew 11:29). I want to consider others as more important than myself and look on their interests. Let Your attitude of humility be in me (Philippians 2:3-6). I thank You for Your wonderful example and bless Your holy name.”
- Insight and wisdom – “Lord, I ask for insight into your Word, will, and ways. I want to partner with you in every area of my life including my finances, physical body, schedule, emotions, fears, circumstances, relationships, and future. I pray for the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You (Ephesians 1:17). Fill me with the knowledge of your will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding that I may have a walk worthy of the Lord (Colossians 1:9-10).
- Peace and Joy – “Lord, I pray that you would strengthen me with supernatural peace and joy that overpowers fear and anxiety. May your peace guard my heart and mind through Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7). Fill me with all joy and hope in believing, that I may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13).”
When you feel a sense of alarm because of all that is happening around you, it is not a time to panic. Simply get down on your knees, lay all your concerns before the Lord in an act of worship and surrender, and strengthen your inner man by praying these prayers. Arise strong in God’s Spirit! Out of His glorious riches He has strengthened you with power through the spirit in your inner being. Remember God can do anything!
“God can do anything, you know – far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us” (Ephesians 3:20-21).
