Praying to Receive Strength and Grace

David W Palmer

(Luke 22:41–43 NLT) He walked away, about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, {42} “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” {43} Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him.

Our wonderful Lord Jesus showed us that strength can be received from God as we pray. Later, the apostle Paul prayed for Father to give this strength to the Ephesian believers:

(Ephesians 3:14–19 NKJV) For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ … {16} that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, {17} that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, {18} may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— {19} to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

“…to be strengthened … in the inner man.” Paul knew about this supernatural strengthening. Silas and He received God’s gracious inner strength to stay full of praise and ready to minister the gospel—even while chained in a dungeon at midnight:

(Acts 16:24–32 NLT) So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks. {25} Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. {26} Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! {27} The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. {28} But Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!” {29} The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. {30} Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” {31} They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” {32} And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household.

What Paul and Silas did in the prison took great, supernatural, inner strength. Later, Paul wrote to Timothy explaining that God strengthened him to do ministry work:

(1 Timothy 1:12 NLT) I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him.

Paul wrote to Timothy again and encouraged him to rely on God’s supernatural strength when he faced suffering for Jesus and the gospel’s sake:

(2 Timothy 1:8 NLT) So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don’t be ashamed of me, either, even though I’m in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News.

Paul again recounted his testimony of having received strength from God to do what God called him to do:

(2 Timothy 4:17 NLT) But the Lord stood with me and gave me strength so that I might preach the Good News in its entirety for all the Gentiles to hear. And he rescued me from certain death.

Paul confirms that God provides strength when writing to his partners in Philippi:

(Philippians 4:13 NLT) For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

Daniel received strength to remain composed in the Lion’s den.

(Daniel 6:19–23 NLT) Very early the next morning, the king got up and hurried out to the lions’ den. {20} When he got there, he called out in anguish, “Daniel, servant of the living God! Was your God, whom you serve so faithfully, able to rescue you from the lions?” {21} Daniel answered, “Long live the king! {22} My God sent his angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, for I have been found innocent in his sight. And I have not wronged you, Your Majesty.” {23} The king was overjoyed and ordered that Daniel be lifted from the den. Not a scratch was found on him, for he had trusted in his God.

And Paul received inner strength to direct the doomed people aboard the storm ravaged ship to safety:

(Acts 27:22–24 NLT) But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down. {23} For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, {24} and he said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What’s more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.’”

The Holy Spirit adds to the evidence of God strengthening people to do his will by recalling the testimonies of many Old Testament believers:

(Hebrews 11:33–34 NLT) By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, {34} quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight.

The Holy Spirit next speaks to us, encouraging us to get our eyes off ourselves and spurious ways to be strengthened; our strength comes from “God’s grace”:

(Hebrews 13:9 NLT) So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God’s grace, not from rules about food, which don’t help those who follow them.

Today, I encourage you to look to God for your strength, not stimulants or any other natural means. As we saw with Jesus and others, this strength is absolutely necessary for us to fulfil Father’s will, and it can be transferred to us in the place of prayer by faith.

Today, in view of the clear truth that Father strengthened Jesus, Daniel, Paul, etc., let’s pray for ourselves and others the prayer Paul taught us in Ephesians 3:

(Ephesians 3:14–16 TPT) So I kneel humbly in awe before the Father of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, the perfect Father of every father and child in heaven and on the earth. And I pray that he would unveil within you the unlimited riches of his glory and favor until supernatural strength floods your innermost being with his divine might and explosive power.

When we have received this strength by faith, let’s use it to serve God and others—in the gospel and by simply serving:

(1 Peter 4:11 NLT) Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.