God’s purpose in all this was to use the church to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.

I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.

May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 15Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.

So live as people of light! 9For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.

Lord God my Father,

Use me to build your kingdom, bring your desire to your people and give us confidence to be obedient. Protect me from the darkness.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

So everyone escaped safely to shore.

When Paul saw them, he was encouraged and thanked God.

I believe that the hope of Israel—the Messiah—has already come.”

“The Holy Spirit was right when he said to your ancestors through Isaiah the prophet,26‘Go and say to this people:When you hear what I say,you will not understand.When you see what I do,you will not comprehend.27For the hearts of these people are hardened,and their ears cannot hear,and they have closed their eyes—so their eyes cannot see,and their ears cannot hear,and their hearts cannot understand,and they cannot turn to meand let me heal them.’

The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.

I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.

But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 

Lord God my Father,

You are my hope and life, without you I am sinful and dead. Thank you for your Truth and Hope in my life. Keep doubt away from me and give me the understanding I can hold this day. My confidence rest in you alone.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and witness. 

 I am sending you to the Gentiles 18to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God.

Lord God my Father,

Soften my heart so I may live completely for you. Allow you Love to cleanse me and use me as you wish in this world.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.

the Scriptures say, ‘You must not speak evil of any of your rulers.

Lord God my Father,

Remove my distraction and place your work before me. Help me to surrender my sinful way to you and do your work only. Keep my heart close to you and away from me.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. 5We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.

 I don’t want anyone to give me credit beyond what they can see in my life or hear in my message,

Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith.

Lord God my Father,

Remove my sinful way and keep me in your power. Grant my desire to turn from my sinful way and be completely under your authority. May my actions reflect your Love only.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. 6Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! 

Lord God my Father,

I pray for your peace to overwhelm my desire to think. There is so much darkness around me, keep me in your light, confident in your way and truth. Keep me in your path, not my own.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen