By the Spirit 7—Power for the Journey

June 2 and the Worldwide Prodigal Prayer Day will be here in a few days. Those of us who love and pray for prodigals prepare our hearts to bring our wandering loved ones and the thousands on the “pray-for” list to the throne of grace. This year our theme will be By the Spirit and this week we look at power for the journey. You are welcome to join us.

Our theme verse is Zechariah 4:6: “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit…”

Dear Lover of Prodigals,

How many times have I said to the Lord, “You think I am stronger than I am. I am too weak. I can’t do this!”

Do what? Keep going. Listen to one more lie. Lower my voice. Find an effective consequence. Meet with the principal one more time. Get yelled at again. Love unconditionally. Maintain hope. On and on….

God’s response always runs something like this:  “Actually, Judy, you don’t know how totally weak you are. No, you can’t do ‘this.’ In fact, you can’t do anything.  Dealing with, helping, surviving your prodigal is impossible for you.”

Fortunately He always adds:  “Of course, all things are possible for Me. I have not left you to do this on your own.  I have sent my Spirit to empower you, to make you strong enough for ‘this’ and anything else.”

Just look at all these assurances of all the power we need:

Power from Him, not from ourselves:

“Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the Lord of hosts." (Zechariah. 4:6)

Power to be witnesses and speak truth for Him:

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses…” (Acts 1:8)

Power to live in joy, peace and hope:

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)

Power to live out love and courage:

“For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

Power that enters our weakness and makes us strong: 

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.’” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Power to strengthen us from the inside:

“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,…” (Ephesians 3:16)

Power for endurance and patience:

“…being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience…” (Colossians 1:11)

Power to receive answers to your prayers:

“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16)

Power for everything we need:

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. (2 Peter 1:3)

Power beyond what we can ask or imagine:

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,…” (Ephesians 3:20)

So if we need power to speak truth, make hard decisions, to forgive, to love unconditionally, to not bail them out one more time—or just to keep going—God’s Spirit living in us is able and available to give us all the power we need, even more than we know we need.

By the power of the Spirit,

Judy

What about you? What do you need power for?

c2017 Judy Douglass

If you would be interested in requesting prayer for a prodigal loved one, or being a part of our wonderful praying community, respond in comments or write to me at PrayerforProdigals at gmaildotcom. The Day of Prayer is June 2. Prayer continues online throughout the year.