How Can We Experience the Fullness of God?

My Birthday Gift to YOU!

I’ve been convinced for a long time that I have some of the best readers and subscribers out there, and this becomes abundantly clear whenever someone poses a question about Scripture or what it means to follow Christ. I love thinking alongside you about what the Bible says and how we are to live and pray as a result.

One reader had been puzzling over Paul’s prayer for the church in Ephesians 3:14-19, and she asked, “How do we become “strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner person?” That’s a good question because it does sound very “spiritual” and a little bit churchy.

I’ve loved this prayer for a long time, and I’ve taken a good, long look at what Paul is really asking God to do. The result is a verse-by-verse meditation on the prayer, a series of probing questions to invite you to go “further up and further in” with its truth as you incorporate Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3 into your own practice of prayer for yourself and for your loved ones.

A Prayer for Spiritual Strength is available as a free PDF, and it’s my birthday present to you! Today is my birthday, and I can’t think of a better gift than a conversation with friends about experiencing the fullness of God! So here it is for you! Happy birthday to me!

And Here’s How You Can Be Praying for Me this Weekend!

Picture that row of chairs filled with the women of Lisbon Falls Baptist Church! I’m looking forward to teaching the Bible at their annual retreat. This year, September 22-24, our focus is Pray Like a Disciple, a deep dive into the Lord’s Prayer. Most of all, pray for receptive hearts and openness to the truth. Pray that my voice and spirit will remain strong throughout and that the symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease will not be a hindrance or a distraction to anyone.

My writing and teaching are an offering to God, my gift to Him. Recently, in Nourishing Narratives by Jennifer Holmberg (catch my review HERE!), I read an unforgettable phrase that has stuck with me like a pebble in the shoe:

"To be honest, to God [our attempts at creativity] probably all most closely resemble the macaroni projects of preschool. But God does not seem to love us any less for trying to participate fully and imaginatively in God’s world.”

He receives our offerings with the same enthusiasm with which I hang my grandkids’ artwork on the fridge. For this, I am endlessly grateful. What gifts are you grateful to be offering to God these days? Let’s talk about it in the comments!

Holding You in the Light,

And as always, please share the letter with anyone who might be interested in reading along!

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