EPHESIANS 3:14-212006 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: Ephesians 3:14-21

You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2006. As we continue on in Ephesians chapter 3 this morning, may I remind you once again that Paul, in the first three chapters, is building up to chapter 4 verse 1. He's been telling us and teaching us, and this morning is no exception.

about all that God has provided for us, done in us, wants to do through us, so that we will be able then, in chapters 4 through 6, to now apply and to live the life that God has called us to live. Ephesians chapter 4 verse 1, Paul admonishes us, he beseeches us to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called. And again I say that we cannot live the Christian life, we cannot live the way that God has called us to live.

without the enabling and empowering of God that we find in chapters 1 through 3. And so this final prayer of the Apostle Paul, before he gets into chapter 4 and begins to then explain to us how we then should live with what God has done for us, he prays this prayer for the Ephesians. And so we find that it's very important, this prayer, wrapping up his thoughts, wrapping up all that he's been speaking to us about in the first three chapters.

Verse 14 tells us, He starts out in verse 14 and he says,

What reason is the Apostle Paul talking about? Well, we talked about it last week, if you remember, back in verse 1 of chapter 3, where he started off with that same phrase, for this reason. But then we discovered that verses 2 through 13, after verse 1, he kind of takes a detour, begins to explain about the mystery and how the Lord had revealed that mystery to him and what that mystery was, which was the uniting of the Gentiles together.

And the Jews into the body of Christ. Them becoming one with no division, no walls, similar to what he was sharing with us in chapter 2. And so in chapter 2, verse 22, we saw that it was in him, in Jesus, that we're being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. And then Paul says in chapter 3, verse 1, For this reason...

Side note, side note, side note, side note. Coming back, where was I? Oh yes, verse 14. For this reason, and now he begins this prayer. And so it's because since we are being built together for a dwelling place of God, Paul says, I am praying for you. Because God is doing this work in you, I am praying for you. Since he has done all these things for you, Paul says, I am praying for you. Much like we saw in chapter 1. Now,

Chapter 1, verse 1 tells us, as Paul opens the letter, that this is written to the saints who are in Ephesus. And so it's important to remember that Paul is writing to those who believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.

Which means that this applies to us. This is not just for those who have never heard of Jesus or don't go to church. This is for those who are here this morning. God says, this prayer is for you. I want you to hear this. These are the things that are important so that you'll be able to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.

Not only is he writing to believers, but remember too, they're doing well. Their faith is being spoke of around the world. God is blessing them. They're doing great works. And so the prayer of the Apostle Paul for the Ephesians is a prayer for every single one of us, no matter what walk of life. If we're doing well, if we're not doing well, if we're walking with the Lord, if we're not walking with the Lord, he deals with the heart of really our needs deeply.

and tells us how those needs can be met. It's a powerful prayer that every single one of us, we need this prayer prayed for us. We also need to pray this prayer for others. Who is he praying to? He says, I bow to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. And then he goes on to elaborate, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. He's bowing to the Father.

Now, whole family could be referring to all of creation because God is the creator. And so Paul's letting us know he's praying to the one who is the creator and sustainer of life. Or probably more appropriate in considering the context, looking at Ephesians 2, verse 19.

reminding ourselves where Paul has been. He says, now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints. And notice this members of the household of God. So we're part of the family of God, no longer strangers and foreigners. But because of what Jesus did, we're part of the family of God. And so Paul says, this is who I'm praying to. The one who did all this, the one who has brought us together and made us one.

That's God's will for the church, not just this church, but within this church as well. Universally, the church to be one, to be united, to be drawn together. And it's God who is doing that work. Jesus prayed something similar in John chapter 17, verse 11. Jesus is praying right before he's about to be arrested.

And he says to the Father, I'm no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to you. Holy Father, keep them, keep through your name those whom you have given me, that they may be one as we are. And so Paul says in verse...

I don't know where I'm at. Actually, verse 15, through whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. And Jesus says, keep through your name those whom you have given me that they may be one as we are. And so it's through the name of Jesus that we are united, that we are family, that we're brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ.

So with that understanding, knowing who the Apostle Paul is praying to, he now begins his prayer in verse 16. There's four aspects or four points to this prayer of the Apostle Paul. And as we go through these, I want to just give you a heads up. We're going to be switching back, or at least I will be. It's up to you if you want to follow along or not. But chapters 13 through 17 of the book of John, Jesus says,

In chapter 13, he's spending his last evening with his disciples. They're in the upper room. They have Passover meal together.

That's when Jesus washes their feet. And then the following chapters are his discussions with them in his final prayer to the Lord before his arrest, before his crucifixion. And so it's this final discourse really to his disciples. His last words, which we find to be very important because these are the things that Jesus is saying, I'm going away, here's what you need to know. And the Apostle Paul in his prayer corresponds and relates really with the same heart

That Jesus was sharing with his disciples. And so I'll be sharing a lot of scriptures from John chapters 13 through 17. You can jump back and forth and keep the place with me or you can just listen and read along. But I pray that God will minister to your heart in this prayer that the Apostle Paul prayed for the Ephesians. His prayer comes from the same heart of Jesus Christ. And the first thing that he prays for them in verse 16 says,

He says that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might through his spirit in the inner man. Now, the source of the work that Paul is about to pray upon the Ephesians is

is according to the riches of his glory. He's praying that God would do a work according to his glory, not because of anything that we have to offer, or our glory, or our resources, or talents, or because we're so great. No, because God is good, and God is glorious, and not us. And that is why the Apostle Paul is praying to him to do this work in us. But what is it that he prays for us, or for the Ephesians? Well, the first thing that we see is that he would strengthen you within yourself.

He says, That word might, it's a great word. It's the word in the Greek, it's dunamis, from which we get the word dynamite or dynamic. It's a powerful word and it means just that. It means power, explosive power. We see it used throughout the scriptures, throughout the New Testament. Most of the time it's used regarding miracles, miracles of the Lord.

Miraculous works that Jesus did or the disciples and apostles did. And so it's a word that pictures for us explosive, miraculous, supernatural power of God. Now, can you imagine that? Having explosive, miraculous, supernatural power of God working in you. Paul says, I'm praying that you would be strengthened with this power of

Through his spirit in the inner man. Power and strength for life's difficulties. Power and strength to say no to sin. And as we look forward to chapter 4 verse 1. Power to walk worthy of the calling which we have received.

The calling with which we were called. This is something we cannot do without the help and the power of the Holy Spirit working within us. We cannot walk the Christian walk. We cannot walk worthy. We cannot walk with God. We need the power of the Holy Spirit. That's why religion fails. Because we can add all kinds of rules and laws and regulations...

And we fail. We don't have the power to do it on our own. But through a relationship with God, through the Spirit working within, the power that He provides, explosive, miraculous power, we're able to walk worthy of the calling with which we were called. We have this power in the working of the Holy Spirit within us. And so if you want to turn back with me to see what Jesus had to say about that, we're in John 14.

John chapter 14, Jesus talked much about the Holy Spirit to his disciples there in those last few hours. It was something he wanted to make sure that they understood the Holy Spirit was going to come and to help them. John chapter 14, verses 16 and 17 says, Jesus is talking, he says, I will pray the Father and he will give you another helper.

Jesus here tells his disciples, I'm going to send a helper, the Holy Spirit. He's going to help you. Now again, this morning, what is your need? Do you need help within? Is there things in your heart that you need?

That you need help with. Things within you. In your inner man. You're not able to tackle or accomplish. Or do on your own. Jesus says. I'm going to send a helper. Paul says. This helper. He's going to give you miraculous explosive power. To strengthen you. To keep you upright.

That you may walk worthy of the calling with which you were received. John chapter 14 verse 26. But the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. So not only will he strengthen you and give you power, but he will teach you, he will remind you, he will keep in your mind the things of God and the things of Jesus Christ. Then John 16 verse 7. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth.

It is to your advantage that I go away. For if I do not go away, the helper will not come to you. But if I depart, I will send him to you. Now, Jesus, he tells his disciples, if I go, it's better for you. It's to your advantage because then I'll be able to send my Holy Spirit who will be able to help you. And so Paul prays along those same lines. I pray that the spirit would strengthen you within.

That God's Spirit would be at work within you. Jesus said in Acts chapter 1 verse 8, You shall receive power. Same word. Power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth. Paul's prayer for the Ephesians is that the Spirit would be at work and we understand and we learn that the Spirit, His work is necessary in our lives. We need the work and the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

We can't be his witnesses, can't be taught or understand or reminded about his teachings. We have no strength within without the power of the Holy Spirit. Through the Spirit, God will give help, power, and strength for life and godliness. And so the first thing that Paul prays for we find to be very important. Jesus agreed it was better for the Spirit to come than for Jesus to remain so that we could be strengthened within with might, with power, with strength.

To walk worthy of the calling with which we were called. The second thing that we see here in the Apostle Paul's prayer, we find in the first part of verse 17. It says that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And so, of course, the second thing that we see is that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. This is also an important point that Jesus talked about, but we'll get to that in a moment. The Spirit within speaks to us of power, of strength.

To live the life that God has called us to live. But what does Christ within or Christ dwelling speak to us about? That word dwell it means to inhabit, but it refers to a certain fixed and durable dwelling.

So it's not a temporary dwelling that Paul is praying for. It's not an occasional dwelling. Well, I pray that, you know, occasionally or on Sundays when you go to church or at this time, then Christ will dwell. No, what he's talking about, what he's praying for them is a permanent, constant dwelling of Christ within the hearts of the Ephesians. A constant, enduring dwelling of Christ within us. Now Jesus, in John 15, tells us,

I am the vine. You are the branches. He who abides in me and I in him bears much fruit. For without me, you can do nothing. Jesus also said, this is important, that I abide in you, that I dwell in you, that I make my home in you. He also says in verse 7 of John 15, if you abide in me and my words abide in you, you will ask what you desire and it shall be done for you. Jesus Christ abiding, dwelling, dwelling.

Inhabiting us, as he says in verse 5, is what enables us to bear fruit. The only way that we can bear fruit, Jesus says, without me you can do nothing. And so the only way for us to bear fruit is to have Christ indwelling within us. To have him dwelling in our heart. Not occasional, not temporary, but permanent. A constant dwelling of Christ within our hearts. It speaks to us about the closeness and intimacy that Jesus desires to have with us.

He desires to be that close, to be within our hearts, to be the subject, the focus of our hearts continually. He desires to be at home within our hearts. And so it encourages us to think and to ponder, is there things in my heart that hinder Jesus Christ from dwelling there? Is there other things that keep him out, things that I keep from him? He's not allowed to touch this area of my heart or that area of my heart.

Christ dwelling within us is what produces fruit. In John 14, 23, Jesus says, If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. This is what Jesus desires. If you love him, he says, keep my words. Believe in Jesus Christ, and he will come and make his home within you.

So not only will you have the power of the Spirit working within you, but you will have Christ dwelling within you. And that was Paul's prayer for us, that Christ would be at home with us, always in our hearts, in constant fellowship and relationship. And the result of that is that we would bear much fruit, for we can do nothing without him. The third thing that we see here in Paul's prayer, continuing on from the last part of chapter 17 there in Ephesians chapter 3,

It says that you, being rooted and grounded in love, verse 18, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height, verse 19, to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge. The third thing that we find in Paul's prayer, he prayed that they would know the love of Christ which passes knowledge.

Now, like we talked about in Ephesians 3, verse 8, where Paul said, I was sent to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ. How do you do that? How do you preach something that's unsearchable? Again, how do you know something that passes knowledge? How do you know the love of Christ which passes knowledge? It's so important for us to know how much Jesus loves us. Jesus loves you more than you know.

He loves you more than you can understand, more than you can comprehend. But he wants to reveal to you, and it's a growing process. You learn as we grow, as he indwells our hearts, we get to learn day by day how much he really loves us. We get to learn. It was demonstrated there at the cross, but it doesn't stop there. His spirit working within us. Jesus dwelling within us. We find a constant, continual growth.

and learning about the love that God has for us. He loves us more than we can imagine, more than we can comprehend. Demonstrated at the cross, but continually revealed throughout our life. John Corson, in talking about this portion of scripture, had this to say. He says, I see the breadth of his love as Jesus stretched out his hand on the cross. To what lengths did he go?

Well, because he was slain from the foundation of the world, his sufferings are elongated beyond anything that we can comprehend. How deep did Jesus go? He says, listen, as he cried out on the cross, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? He cries out in the depths of despair from the depth of hell, paying for our sin. What is the height of his love? He says, look up and see him on the cross, praying, Father,

Forgive them, for they do not know what they do. The love of Jesus Christ, it was demonstrated on that cross. But the width, the length, the depth, the height, it speaks to us about his love being inescapable. No matter how far you go, no matter which direction you go, his love extends beyond. You'll never come to the end of the love of God. Romans chapter 8, verses 38 and 39, beautiful promises to us.

Paul says, We cannot escape. His love is so great. And it's unconditional. And so we can run.

We can rebel. We can do anything we want. But nothing will separate us. We cannot escape the love that God has for us. He loves us. And there's nothing that we can do to change that. He loves us more than we can comprehend, more than we can know. The spirit within gives us power. Christ within produces fruit. But Christ's love, what does that do? Teaches us to love.

As we grow and understand and learn to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, it teaches us to love, first of all, Him. 1 John 4.19 tells us that we love Him because He first loved us. And so as we grow and understand more and more how much He loves us and what He's done for us and how great and awesome He is, as we learn about His love for us, what it does in our hearts is it causes us to love Him. This morning, do you find yourself

struggling to love the Lord. Meditate. Spend time. Look at the cross. Ask God to show you how much He loves you because what that does in us is it stirs up a love for Him. As we see how much He loves us, we respond by learning to love Him.

But not only does looking at his love and understanding his love teach us to love him, it also teaches us to love others. Back in John chapter 15, this was another thing that Jesus mentioned to his disciples and said was very important. In John chapter 15, verse 12, he says, Greater love has no one than this.

than to lay down one's life for his friends. And so Jesus leaves his disciples one last commandment. He says, love one another as I have loved you. How has he loved him? How has he loved you and me? Well, greater love is no one than this, than to lay down his life for his friends. And so this self-sacrificing love is the love that Jesus has for us. And he says to love one another. As we learn how much God loves us,

The natural result, the response within us will be to love him, but will also be to love those around us. Again, do you need love for someone? Are you having a hard time loving someone next to you? Maybe not next to you here this morning. Maybe they're a couple seats away, and that's why they're a couple seats away, because they're having trouble loving one another. Grow, learn, meditate on the love of God.

Paul's prayer is that they would know the love of Christ which passes knowledge. The fourth thing, the final thing we see in Paul's prayer here, he says in verse 19, the last part, back in Ephesians chapter 3, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. The final element of his prayer is a request that we would be filled with the fullness of God.

Now again, we find, just like how do you know something that passes knowledge, how do you be filled with the fullness of God? When Solomon, if you remember, back in 1 Kings chapter 8, he had been instructed and commissioned to build a temple for the Lord, for the people of God to come and worship him there. And as he completes this temple in 1 Kings chapter 8, we find him saying,

Well, first of all, the temple, it's magnificent. It's beautiful. There's nothing like it. Yet he completes it in all of its wonder and splendor. And he says in verse 27 of 1 Kings 8, But will God indeed dwell on the earth?

Solomon gets to the end and realizes he can't fill, he can't dwell in this little box that I've created because the heaven of heavens cannot even contain him. So how much less this little building that I have made for him.

That's true. God is omnipresent. He is everywhere present. You cannot escape his love, neither can you escape his presence. But the interesting thing is, as we saw in chapter 2 of the book of Ephesians, verse 22, again, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the spirit. The heaven of heavens cannot contain him, yet he desires to dwell within you and I.

He desires to dwell within the body of Christ. He desires for us to be temples of his presence. He wants to fill us with his fullness. Ephesians chapter 2 tells us that. We're being built into a temple of God. And so Paul prays that we would be filled with the fullness of God. Now we could go on for some time trying to understand what that means and trying to figure out all of the, for lack of a better word, perks of that.

The fullness of God is within me. What does that mean? The spirit within gives us power. Christ within produces fruit. Christ's love teaches us to love. And God's fullness makes us complete. It makes us complete. Again, John chapter 17. Jesus in his final prayer to the Father, he prays for himself briefly.

prays for his disciples, but then he goes on and he prays for all believers. And in that portion, we find verses 22 and 23 of John 17, where Jesus said, Jesus says,

Lord, here's my prayer, that they would be made perfect in one. Perfect in one. Now, this is what Paul has been talking about in Ephesians chapter 2 and 3. This is the mystery. The mystery of the two becoming one. The Jew and the Gentile. The mystery of the body of Christ being united together through what Jesus did on the cross. The purpose of it is that we may be made complete. Perfect. Whole. God wants to make us whole.

We're broken. We're in pieces. We're shattered. Maybe you only feel like a half. God wants to make you whole. He wants to make you complete. Colossians chapter 2 verse 9 and 10 says that in Jesus dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily and you are complete in him who is the head of all principality and power. God wants to complete us, to fill us completely, to make us whole. Whatever need that we have,

He wants to meet it. Whatever void that there is, he wants to fill it. Wherever there's lacking, he wants to fill us, to complete us, to fill us with his fullness. Who he is, his character, his nature, how wonderful he is, he wants to fill us with his fullness. He doesn't want just a little piece of our heart, but he wants to fill us completely, to consume us with who he is. It's what we need.

The fullness of God in our lives. Wherever we're lacking, wherever we need, God is able to meet that need. Now every single one of us has a thirst for God. Every one of us has a need to worship something. But only God is able to quench that thirst. Only God is able to fill us. Anything else that we worship, think about this for a moment. If we worship anything else, what it requires is

is that we pour ourselves into it, but then what it does is it leaves us empty. If we desire, let's say, money, and that's our passion, that's our devotion, that's what we worship, that's what we're focused on and consumed with, we can pour ourselves out and chase after it and buy the lottery tickets and play the stock market and...

Try to succeed in this venture or that venture. We can do all these things and chase after and even obtain. But what we find out is after pouring ourselves into that, we find ourselves left still empty. It didn't satisfy. It wasn't enough. It wasn't truly what we were looking for. How about popularity or pleasure? We can find ourselves doing the same thing. Pouring ourselves, pursuing after these things, filling our lives and consuming our lives with these things,

And at the end, we find ourselves still empty. Because we've poured ourselves out into things that have not been able to satisfy us. You name it. Whatever we worship that's not God is not able to satisfy us. Power. Religion. That's why religion doesn't work. Because religion is add on all these rules and add on all these regulations.

And we can pursue it, but we find ourselves empty, unable to complete it, unable to fulfill it. But what God wants to do is completely the opposite of that. He wants to fill us with the fullness of Him. So as we pour ourselves into Him and devote our lives and devote our passions to Him, then what we find is that He fills us with all of His fullness. And so in the end, we're not empty, we're full. In fact, we're overflowing. He gives us more fullness.

than we can imagine. He gives us more, even to the point that he uses us to minister to those around us. God says, worship me, pour yourself into me, and then you'll find yourself, that I'll fill you with all of my fullness. He closes the prayer in verses 20 and 21.

By saying this, Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us. Verse 21. To him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. He closes the prayer saying all glory to God. To him who is able, check this out, to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think. I've been...

Looking at this portion, meditating on it, studying it. Trying to come up with something to say in this verse. What can you add to that? God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think. Now putting it in the context of, in just another verse, will be chapter 4, verse 1. Where Paul says, I beseech you, walk worthy of the calling with which you were called. Putting it into the context of this prayer of the Apostle Paul.

that the Spirit would strengthen you with might, that Christ would dwell within your heart by faith, that you would know the love of Christ which passes knowledge, and that you would be filled with all the fullness of God. Understand, He's able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think. See, as we get into chapter 4 next week, it would be easy for us to say, I can't walk worthy. I can't live the life that God calls me to live. I can't live the way that other people live.

You don't know my heart. You don't know what it's like within me. You don't know the issues that I deal with, the lust that wars against my soul, the rage that burns within, the loneliness. It's easy for us to look and say, I can't, I can't, I'm not able. But God says, no, listen, you're not listening. I want to fill you. Notice the fullness of the Godhead that's in Paul's prayer here. We have the Spirit strengthening us with might.

We have Jesus Christ dwelling within our heart by faith. And then we have God filling us with the fullness of himself, the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, the triune God dwelling within us, working within our hearts. Notice in verse 20, he says, according to the power that works in us. So not only is he able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, but he is using that power, that ability to work within us.

In other words, God can do whatever he wants within your heart. He's able to overcome in your heart those issues that seem impossible. I don't know. I mean, I've lived with myself 27 years. I know what I'm like. But God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think. See, what we really need is not a better financial profile or portfolio. What we don't need is all the things of this life.

What we need is more of God in us. And as God is within us, and His Spirit is strengthening us with might, and Christ is dwelling within our heart, producing fruit, and the love of Christ is teaching us to love Him and to love others, and the fullness of God makes us complete, God will do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, because He's working in us.

And so no matter who I think I am or what I think I can do or what I think the problem is with my heart, God knows what it is and he's able to overcome it. Not only is he able, but he's desiring. Now, he is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think because he is almighty. He's all powerful. He's the king of kings and Lord of lords, the creator and sustainer of the universe. He holds the world in the palm of his hand.

Yet with all this power, he doesn't force himself upon us. He doesn't force us. Paul's prayer for the Ephesians, this is all voluntary. If you don't want the Spirit within you strengthening you with might, he won't force himself upon you. If you don't want Christ dwelling within your heart, he won't dwell there. If you don't want to know the love, it'll still be there. But he doesn't force you to receive it. If you don't want the fullness of God, you don't have to have it. But if you want those things...

God is willing and able to give them to you. He's willing, desiring to meet your needs, to satisfy your soul, to satisfy that thirst, and to do within you more than you could ever imagine. Think about something that you could never imagine. It's hard to do, huh? That's what God wants to do. Beyond your imagination, beyond what you can grasp. One of the songs that we were singing earlier talks about loving the presence of God.

And it's there that we find rest. It's there that we're made whole. And that's the truth. What we need is God. And in Him, we find that He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think. He makes us whole. He makes us complete. Strengthens us with might through His Spirit. Do you need strength for the Christian? Do you find yourself needing, man, I'm weak. Whether it be in reference to sin or

Or maybe in reference to emotions. Or maybe in reference to the desires of your heart. Whatever the case, He wants to strengthen you within, to make you strong, that you stand firm and stand fast in Christ Jesus. That you'll be able to walk worthy. To dwell in your heart, that you would be able to produce the fruit. It's a natural result of Christ dwelling within us through faith. To know the love of Christ. That we would be able to learn to love Him as well as others.

And that you may be filled with the fullness of God. That's Paul's prayer for the Ephesians. Now, it's a prayer that every single one of us needs. And so what I want to do at this time, let's just take a few moments and spend just a moment and pray this prayer. Pray this prayer. Ask God. Because again, with all His power, He doesn't force Himself. He's waiting for the invitation. And so I want to ask you to invite God to do these four things in you.

in these next few moments. And you can just look it over again. It's verses 16 through 19 if you want to read it through again. But just take a few moments between you and the Lord. Just bow your heads and let's ask God to do this work within us. We pray you have been blessed by this Bible teaching. The power of God to change a life is found in the daily reading of His Word. Visit ferventword.com to find more teachings and Bible study resources.