Please Please read read along along with with me!me!

14 For this reason I bow my 14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is family in heaven and earth is named,named, 16 that He would grant you, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of according to the riches of His glory, to be His glory, to be strengthened with might strengthened with might through His Spirit in the through His Spirit in the inner man,inner man,

17 that Christ may 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts dwell in your hearts through faith; that through faith; that you, being rooted you, being rooted and grounded in and grounded in love,love,

18 may be able to 18 may be able to comprehend with all the comprehend with all the saints what is the width saints what is the width and length and depth and length and depth and height--and height-- 19 to know the love of 19 to know the love of Christ which passes Christ which passes knowledge; that you may knowledge; that you may be filled with all the be filled with all the fullness of God.fullness of God.

God’s God’s power power works works through us through us in the same in the same way that way that Christ Christ dwells in dwells in us, that is, us, that is, by faith.by faith.

18 And do not be 18 And do not be drunk with wine, in drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; which is dissipation; but be filled with the but be filled with the Spirit,Spirit, 19 speaking to one 19 speaking to one another in psalms and another in psalms and hymns and spiritual hymns and spiritual songs, singing and songs, singing and making melody in your making melody in your heart to the Lord,heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks 20 giving thanks always for all things to always for all things to God the Father in the God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus name of our Lord Jesus Christ,Christ, 21 submitting to one 21 submitting to one another in the fear of another in the fear of God.God.

EphesiaEphesians 5:18-ns 5:18-

2121

The The religious religious world is world is

expecting expecting some some

miraculous miraculous operation operation

of the Holy of the Holy Spirit by Spirit by

which this which this power is power is realized,realized,

but this is not but this is not God’s God’s

teaching.teaching.

The passage The passage makes it makes it clear to us clear to us that the that the Ephesians Ephesians (and we (and we today) do not today) do not understand understand the power of the power of God.God.

Jesus taught that even Jesus taught that even His disciples had little His disciples had little faith.faith.•He said this of the body of disciples in the sermon on the mount.

24 "No one can serve two 24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will masters; for either he will hate the one and love the hate the one and love the other, or else he will be other, or else he will be loyal to the one and loyal to the one and despise the other. You despise the other. You cannot serve God and cannot serve God and mammon.mammon. 25 "Therefore I say to 25 "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more will put on. Is not life more than food and the body than food and the body more than clothing?more than clothing? 26 "Look at the birds of 26 "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more them. Are you not of more value than they?value than they?

MattheMatthew 6:24-w 6:24-

3030

27 "Which of you by 27 "Which of you by worrying can add one worrying can add one cubit to his stature?cubit to his stature? 28 "So why do you worry 28 "So why do you worry about clothing? Consider about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither they grow: they neither toil nor spin;toil nor spin; 29 "and yet I say to you 29 "and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed his glory was not arrayed like one of these.like one of these. 30 "Now if God so clothes 30 "Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, the grass of the field, which today is, and which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of more clothe you, O you of little faith?little faith?

Jesus taught that even Jesus taught that even His disciples had little His disciples had little faith.faith.•He said this of the body of disciples in the sermon on the mount.•He rebuked the apostles for their lack of faith when they had failed to heal an epileptic boy.

14 And when they had 14 And when they had come to the multitude, a come to the multitude, a man came to Him, man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and kneeling down to Him and saying,saying, 15 "Lord, have mercy on 15 "Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into into the fire and often into the water.the water. 16 "So I brought him to 16 "So I brought him to Your disciples, but they Your disciples, but they could not cure him."could not cure him." 17 Then Jesus answered 17 Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to you? Bring him here to Me."Me."

MattheMatthew w

17:14-17:14-2020

18 And Jesus rebuked the 18 And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of demon, and it came out of him; and the child was him; and the child was cured from that very hour.cured from that very hour. 19 Then the disciples 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we and said, "Why could we not cast it out?"not cast it out?" 20 So Jesus said to them, 20 So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.be impossible for you.

Since it was Jesus’ Since it was Jesus’ disciples, it is no doubt disciples, it is no doubt true of us that we have true of us that we have “little faith.”“little faith.”•We must seek to understand the power of God and strengthen our faith.

Even though Even though God can do God can do more than we more than we ask or think, ask or think, we must be we must be aware that aware that some things some things may not be in may not be in harmony with harmony with God’s will.God’s will.

Jesus prayed to be Jesus prayed to be delivered from the agony delivered from the agony that surrounded His that surrounded His death on the cross, but death on the cross, but He prayed, “not as I He prayed, “not as I will, but as You will.”will, but as You will.”John teaches us to pray John teaches us to pray unto God according to unto God according to His will.His will.

14 Now this is 14 Now this is the confidence the confidence that we have in that we have in Him, that if we Him, that if we ask anything ask anything according to His according to His will, He hears us.will, He hears us.

11stst John John 5:145:14

Even though Even though God can do God can do more than we more than we ask or think, ask or think, we must be we must be aware that aware that some things some things may not be in may not be in harmony with harmony with God’s will.God’s will.

John teaches us to pray John teaches us to pray unto God according to unto God according to His will.His will.•We must first be found We must first be found in obedience to God’s in obedience to God’s teaching.teaching.

21 Beloved, if our 21 Beloved, if our heart does not heart does not condemn us, we condemn us, we have confidence have confidence toward God.toward God. 22 And whatever 22 And whatever we ask we receive we ask we receive from Him, because from Him, because we keep His we keep His commandments commandments and do those and do those things that are things that are pleasing in His pleasing in His sight.sight.

11stst John John 3:21-223:21-22

Even though Even though God can do God can do more than we more than we ask or think, ask or think, we must be we must be aware that aware that some things some things may not be in may not be in harmony with harmony with God’s will.God’s will.

John teaches us to pray John teaches us to pray unto God according to unto God according to His will.His will.•We must first be found We must first be found in obedience to God’s in obedience to God’s teaching.teaching.•God’s ear is turned God’s ear is turned toward those who are toward those who are righteous.righteous.

10 For "He who would 10 For "He who would love life And see good love life And see good days, Let him refrain days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, his tongue from evil, And his lips from And his lips from speaking deceit.speaking deceit. 11 Let him turn away 11 Let him turn away from evil and do good; from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and Let him seek peace and pursue it.pursue it. 12 For the eyes of the 12 For the eyes of the LORD are on the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears righteous, And His ears are open to their are open to their prayers; But the face prayers; But the face of the LORD is against of the LORD is against those who do evil."those who do evil."

11stst Peter Peter 3:10-123:10-12

We may be We may be concerned concerned about the about the sickness of sickness of our family our family members and members and others, and others, and conclude that conclude that God has not God has not heard our heard our prayers.prayers.

A study of the Old A study of the Old Testament makes it clear Testament makes it clear that some problems that some problems come upon man because come upon man because of his transgressions, so of his transgressions, so God may not remove God may not remove every problem.every problem.

We may be We may be concerned concerned about the about the sickness of sickness of our family our family members and members and others, and others, and conclude that conclude that God has not God has not heard our heard our prayers.prayers.

We must also recognize We must also recognize that the aging process is that the aging process is a part of life and that a part of life and that some are not restored to some are not restored to life because this is a part life because this is a part of the termination of life of the termination of life upon the earth.upon the earth.

We should We should pray for pray for those who those who are sick and are sick and believe that believe that God will heal God will heal according to according to His will.His will.

There may be reasons There may be reasons why it would be best for why it would be best for the person not to become the person not to become well.well.We may not know or We may not know or understand, but we must understand, but we must accept the will of God.accept the will of God.

Let us pray Let us pray for the for the blessings of blessings of God in God in reaching reaching those who those who are lost.are lost. The father of the young The father of the young

son who went away from son who went away from home in a spirit of home in a spirit of rebellion did not cease to rebellion did not cease to “look” for the return of “look” for the return of his son.his son.

20 "And he arose and came 20 "And he arose and came to his father. But when he to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his was still a great way off, his father saw him and had father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.on his neck and kissed him. 21 "And the son said to him, 21 "And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your worthy to be called your son.'son.' 22 "But the father said to 22 "But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the his servants, 'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.and sandals on his feet. 23 'And bring the fatted calf 23 'And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry;eat and be merry; 24 'for this my son was 24 'for this my son was dead and is alive again; he dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' And was lost and is found.' And they began to be merry.they began to be merry.

Luke Luke 15:20-15:20-

2424

Let us pray Let us pray for the for the blessings of blessings of God in God in reaching reaching those who those who are lost.are lost. The father of the young The father of the young

son who went away from son who went away from home in a spirit of home in a spirit of rebellion did not cease to rebellion did not cease to “look” for the return of “look” for the return of his son.his son.We must set the right We must set the right examples before our loved examples before our loved ones and pray for wisdom ones and pray for wisdom in order to reach them in order to reach them with truth.with truth.

1 Wives, likewise, be submissive 1 Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives,by the conduct of their wives, 2 when they observe your chaste 2 when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear.conduct accompanied by fear. 3 Do not let your adornment be 3 Do not let your adornment be merely outward--arranging the merely outward--arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel--fine apparel-- 4 rather let it be the hidden 4 rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.precious in the sight of God. 5 For in this manner, in former 5 For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to themselves, being submissive to their own husbands,their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.afraid with any terror.

11stst Peter Peter 3:1-63:1-6

20 Now to 20 Now to Him who is Him who is able to do able to do exceedingly exceedingly abundantly abundantly above all that above all that we ask or we ask or think, think, according to according to the power the power that works in that works in us,us, 21 to Him be 21 to Him be glory in the glory in the church by church by Christ Jesus to Christ Jesus to all all generations, generations, forever and forever and ever. Amen.ever. Amen.

Ephesians 3Ephesians 3

Don’t Don’t expect God expect God to work to work through you through you if you are if you are not willing not willing to work to work with and for with and for Him to Him to accomplish accomplish what you what you ask.ask.

Work like it all Work like it all depends on you, depends on you, but pray like it all but pray like it all depends on God.depends on God.