Accessing Your Spiritual Power, Part 2

The purpose in your prayer must be for God's purposes. He must get the glory. Dr. Tony Evans says putting God's glory first is the key to expanding your spiritual capacity. And when you expand your capacity, you expand your opportunity.

This is the alternative broadcast, featuring the timeless biblical teachings from the archives of Dr. Tony Evans. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in us, but are we tapping into it? Today, Dr. Evans continues his look at Paul's powerful prayer in Ephesians, revealing how to access the spiritual strength God has already placed within us.

Let's join him. The prayer for spiritual power. For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives. It's name. Powell.

He lets us know in this first part that the way you access your spiritual power is through prayer. He says, I bow my knee to my father.

So, what you want to do if you need spiritual power is humble yourself. before the father now He then enters into a discussion. And he's going to touch on four areas in this prayer for spiritual power. Let's look at how he breaks it down. Verse 16.

That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power through the spirit in the inner man. He now, first of all, wants you to have increased spiritual strength. Increased spiritual strength. God strengthens us. to come to him to be able to receive what he has for us.

It is the job of the Holy Spirit to renew and empower us so that our capacity is enlarged. Look at a couple of references. First of all, is 2 Corinthians chapter 4. 2 Corinthians chapter 4, verses 16 and 18. 218.

Therefore we do not lose heart. We don't quit. Though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed, how regularly? Day by day.

So your capacity can grow on a daily basis. for momentary light affliction is producing for us. An eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison. While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen, for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

So, what should we be focusing on? Things that are what? Not seen. Because remember, the things that are not seen control the things that are seen.

Now he says our outward man is decaying. And I don't care how good you look, you are decaying. Keep looking in the mirror. There'll be more wrinkles to cover. There'll be more gray hairs to hide.

There'll be more, you know, you just Deterioration. Setting in. All right.

Now, here's the beauty of this. As your physical person, deteriorates. As you feel walking slower, moving slower, getting grayer. Getting older. You know, hiding more wrinkles, all that stuff.

And we all in this room are getting older. Your inner man should be getting younger and younger, or getting renewed, he says. Secondly, he wants us to pray for increased spiritual intimacy. Increased spiritual intimacy, verse 17.

So that Christ, and by the way, in verse 16, we're strengthened by the Holy Spirit. Notice where, in the inner man.

So it's in your human spirit that is at the center of your soul that this increase occurs. Then you want increased intimacy, verse 17, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. Christ may be in your heart, but the question is, is he comfortable? with the arrangements. What he wants to do is have access to all of life so that he can be totally.

Totally at home. Because guess what? The more at home Jesus is, the cleaner your life will be.

So that means you've got to come clean in developing an intimate walk with Christ. Not only is there to be increased spiritual strength and increased spiritual intimacy, there to be increased spiritual depth. Notice the second half of verse 17. And that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may comprehend. With all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth?

He says being rooted and grounded in love. He gives us two analogies that explains his concept. rooted and grounded. Rooted is an agricultural term. It refers to roots that run deep.

Under the ground, which keeps the tree or the plant or whatever it is, stabilized regardless of external weather.

So to be rooted means to be stabilized from underneath. Agriculturally grounded referred to the foundation. If you want to build a high building, you've got to take time and dig a deep foundation. The higher the edifice, the deeper the drill for the foundation. What he is saying is God wants us to go deep.

In love. He says, rooted and grounded in love.

so that our capacity to love grows. Because remember the definition of love now is not first talking about emotions or affections. It's talking about acts of the will that seeks that which is better for the other person.

So when we want to love God, we want to seek his glory. We want to love people, we want to minister to their hurts and needs in accordance with the word of God. God wants us to go deep in love.

Now, why does he want us to grow deep in love? Because love always expands your capacity. He says through prayer, if you go deep, In your relationship with God and in your Yep. love by seeking to do that which pleases God, which will affirm that which is your ability to relate to others, then you expand your capacities.

Now, God will always test how deep you are. And that was a call, trials. Trials are God's way of testing the depth of your root. or the depth of your foundation. Then he wants you to increase your spiritual understanding.

Verse 18. May be able to understand With all the saints, what is the breadth, and length, and height, and depth. Understanding. This word means apprehension or laying hold of for yourself. You need your own testimonies.

Don't piggyback off of my walk with God, and I can't piggyback off of your walk with God. You need your own. He says in verse 18 that you may be able to understand with. All the saints, that's a very important phrase. Because you will never get it all yourself.

See, it's good we're hearing testimonies to see what God is doing in somebody else's life. But we need our own testimony so somebody else can hear what's happening in our lives. And then when we get everybody's testimony together, we'll see how big God really is. Because He did that for you, He did something else for you, something else for you. And if we have 500 people in the audience and they have 500 different testimonies, you know what that tells us?

how great God is. He can meet each one of us individually in our individual problems, handle them individually. And we all have reason to praise him so that next year, when you run into a problem that you didn't have this year, you'll remember God did something about that in somebody else's life.

So that's why you've got to be part of the family of God so that you can get the size of God because nobody will ever have all the experiences that God has to offer.

So he wants you to have an experience of an understanding.

So that you will have, notice what he says. To know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

So, what you want is increased capacity so you can handle more because God will always fill you to your capacity. That's why he says. In verse 18, He wants you to know the breath. The length. The height.

The damn. That's just a nice way of saying he wants you to understand how big God really is. Let me tell you how big God really is. In eternity. when you've been with God 100 quadzillion years.

Which I don't even know what that number means. But when you've been with God 100 twazillion years, you would have just been introduced to him. That would have been like a three-minute introduction to a message. After 100 quadrillion years, because the God of the Bible is inexhaustible. He has no end.

That is not for human consumption. To try to understand God is a waste of your natural time. All right.

Because the scope, we're talking about the scope is too big. That's why we're going to have to have new bodies, because we're going to have to have new capacities for taking this stuff in, which we do not have in our current finiteness.

So what he wants you to do is he wants you to realize through the Holy Spirit's power, through Christ's intimate relationship with Christ, and through this love relationship with God, that he's got a love so big it'll last forever. It's that long. It's so high it can reach, take the sinner to the highest heaven. It's so deep, it can reach down to the lowest sinner and pick him up. He's talking about the breadth of this great love of God, which surpasses knowledge.

You couldn't write enough books to cover it. Can you imagine? All the books have been written about God and Jesus Christ. And then merely introductory volumes. Libraries are full of them by the mega thousands.

No books about any other being in the universe like they are about God and His Son, Jesus Christ. And so He wants you to come to understand through prayer your spiritual power by expanding your spiritual capacity. But capacity alone isn't enough. We also need the right perspective. Dr.

Evans will unpack a powerful truth about what God can do through you when His power is at work within you. When He returns in just a moment, don't go away. Yeah. How do you share the gospel with confidence? What's God's plan for our communities?

Why does the Old Testament matter to your faith today? Those are just a few of the questions you'll get answered when you enroll in the Tony Evans Training Center, an interactive online study experience with Dr. Tony Evans, where you can grow in your knowledge of God's Word and learn to advance his kingdom agenda in your life. Visit TonyEvanstraining.org to get started today. That's Tonyevanstraining.org.

Before we get back to Dr. Evans, I wanted to let you know that the message you're hearing today is part of his 16-part series on the book of Ephesians called Ordinary Holy, Finding God in the Mundane. In this powerful collection, Tony explores how God often does his greatest spiritual work in the middle of our most ordinary moments, helping us see that even the routine rhythms of life can become sacred when surrendered to him. If you'd like to dig deeper into this series, to review today's message, or to share it with your small group or family, you can download the complete two-volume set instantly. And we'll also send it to you on CD or USB flash drive as our way of saying thanks for your generous support of Tony's work on the air and in communities across the globe.

And as an added way of saying thanks, and to help you grow even further, we'll also include his book, Kingdom Living, a practical, encouraging guide to building a stronger world. Walk with God and learning to live out your identity in Christ. This special offer will only be available for a limited time, so get all the details today at tonyevans.org or call our resource team at 1-800-800-32-22. I'll repeat that contact information after part two of today's message. Let's get back to Dr.

Evans now in Ephesians chapter 3. Secondly, he wants you to have a perspective for spiritual power. Verse 20.

Now, to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that you can ask or think, according to the power working within us. I hope you saw that. This goes back to the capacity. Do you see that line? According to the power working in you.

You can quote this verse from here to doomsday. If there's nothing in you. You'll get nothing to you. This power of God is beyond your wildest dreams. Then what's my problem?

Simple, your capacity. The problem is your capacity, my capacity. Let's talk a little bit about God's power here. Number one, God's power is personal. It's personal.

He said to him, Not the it. See people want this impersonal power force. Uh-uh. We're talking about daddy here. Talking about the father.

Remember, he's praying to the father.

So the power is tied to the relationship.

So God's power is personal. Secondly, God's power is Yeah. And it's all seen in that phrase, he is able. He is Able. Yeah.

And he tags on to that, and I mentioned it a moment ago, let me say it again. He's able to do. Anything God decides to do, he can do. He's able.

So when you can't. You are a perfect candidate. When you run out of your resources, He's able. When they say no way, no how. He's able.

So, he wants you relying on his ability.

So, God's power is personal, God's power is potent. God's power is also unpredictable. Because his power is beyond what you think. It goes beyond what you ask, but it also goes beyond what you think.

So never put God in a box. Never tell God do something this way. You just tell him what you want. Let him decide how he's going to do it. Jeremiah 32, 17, great verse.

One worth memorizing. Jeremiah 32 verse 17. Ah, Lord God. Behold, thou hast made the heavens and the earth. By thy great power.

And by thy outstretched arm, here it is, nothing. is too difficult. For thee. Nothing. Nothing.

Now, the question is: does he want to do it? The question is not, is he able. We saw a little bit of God's power when we were in Columbia, South Carolina. And we were in this crusade in this outdoor stadium. The rain was coming in.

And we got in a room and we prayed. And this one lady took over the prayer meeting. We were praying that God would hold back the rain. And she stood up in the prayer meeting and she said, in the name of Jesus Christ, I declare that it not rain. And she was bold and strong with it.

We went out on this platform. We sit down. And we've watched. We watch the clouds part straight down the middle, the dark clouds go around the stadium and it rained again after it got on the other side of the stadium. She was praying out of her capacity.

You see?

So when your capacity grows, because you're growing deeper and wider in the Lord, then you'll get to see more of him who is able to do exceedingly. See, a lot of people say, well, pray for your miracle. Your miracle is only related to your capacity.

Okay. God's power, therefore, finally is prejudicial. It's not equal for everyone. It's according to the power working within. What you get from up depends on what's working in.

So you want to increase your spiritual capacity. And you'll know it's increasing. because you'll see more spiritual answers. The print.

Now, that'll be your proof that your capacity is broadening because you'll see God doing things that... He couldn't do five years ago. You grow in this thing, you don't leapfrog. You don't leap fraud. At least to a final point.

And that is the purpose for spiritual power. Your purpose must be right. To him be glory. In the church. and to Jesus Christ to all generations.

The purpose in your prayer for your power based on your capacity. Must be For God's purposes. He must get the glory. Let me say that again. He must be.

Get the glory. If he does not get the glory. Then he has no vested interest. and showing you the power. Why should he show you the power so you can get the glory?

or something else other than him get the glory when it's his power. Isaiah 46:10 says, My purposes will be established, and I will accomplish my good pleasure. Here's a text that you should memorize sometime, Romans chapter 11. Romans chapter eleven, verses thirty three to thirty six. Oh, the depth of the riches.

both of the wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are his judgments and unfathomable are his ways. Just what we're saying in Ephesians. For who has known the mind of the Lord or who became his counselor? When's the last time he asked you what you think?

Okay? Or who has first given to him that it might be paid back to him again? For from him, through him, and to him are all things. To him be glory. Forever.

Same thing he's saying here to all generations. You got to say when you're calling on God for spiritual power. What he's going to get out the deal. What will he get out of this if he comes through and does this miracle for you? What will he get out remember when David sinned?

He said, Lord, forgive me. Remove me, spare my life, because he was under the death penalty. For murder. Spare my life. And then he says, and if you do it.

I'll go tell transgressors your ways. If you will come through for me, I will go out and let other sinners know more about you. If you come through for me. See, the question is, how will God get the glory? Matthew 5:16, that men might see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

How will he get the credit? If gotta tie in to divine purposes.

So that means you must make, I must make a lifestyle of giving God glory and not apologizing. Stop apologizing for giving God the glory. Give him the glory.

Now, I'm not saying be bombastic. I'm not saying be inappropriate, but I am saying don't be ashamed. Don't be ashamed to give don't be too cute to give him the glory Don't be too much of a professional to give him the glory. Don't be looking too swank that you can't give him the glory. Don't be ashamed to give him the glory.

The word glory means to demonstrate, put on display, advertise, show off. Highlight. All of those are synonyms for giving the glory. And that's good. You don't really give them the glory about what you say, you give them the glory about what you do.

You give him the glory by representing him. You give him the glory by how you do what you do. If you do your stuff sloppy, that's not giving him the glory. Bible says even when you go to work, you work for the Lord your God.

So say, Lord, this is not the job I want. I don't want to stay here. But as long as you have me here, I'm going to work in such a way that my performance will give you the glory.

Now you just expanded your capacity. And when you expand your capacity, you expand your opportunity. Bless. Dr. Tony Evans, reminding us that when we honor God, even in the everyday routines of life, we make room for Him to do extraordinary things.

And He'll return with a closing thought in just a moment. Before he does, though, today's message, Accessing Your Spiritual Power, is part of Tony's 16-part audio series called Ordinary Holy, a deep dive into the book of Ephesians that shows how God meets us in the everyday. It's yours with our thanks, along with his book Kingdom Living, when you support Tony's work on this station and beyond. Just visit tonyevans.org, or you'll find all the details right on the homepage, or call 1-800-800-3222 to make your request. Again, that's tonyevans.org, or by phone at 1-800-800-3222.

You know, teamwork falls apart when people chase their own agendas. Tomorrow, doctor Evan shows how God calls his people to unity so they can grow and serve together. Right now, he's back with his closing illustration. Hydrants, water hydrants? A little small, small things, but based on their connection.

With the reservoir, will determine how much water they let out. If they're disconnected underneath, They won't let anything out. For the firemen as they put up They're hoses to put out a fire. But if they're connected underneath the ground, and you don't see the connection because the connection is underneath the ground, but if they're connected right, Those little old things will produce water all day long. And water that comes out so strong, it'll knock you silly.

Because it comes out with so much force. You know why? Because their source is always full.

So all they do is share their fullness. from the source. based on the connection. If you know Jesus Christ today, you have a connection. And your connection is a reservoir that's always full.

If you keep the connection tight. That invisible connection in the inner man. You will gush out the power of God. in your life. and in your circumstances.

Remember. Your spiritual capacity will determine. Your spiritual power.