Sometimes kids can pinpoint obvious needs better than anyone else. A mom was putting her daughter to bed one night and reminded her to pray that God would bless grandma and let her live to be very old. The girl replied, “Oh, she’s old enough. I’d rather ask God to make her younger.” Well, yeah. Think about it – obviously grandma would be better off if she could get younger.
In the 3rd chapter of his letter to the Ephesians, Paul tells them how he prays for what they obviously need. And I think it’s for us, too. He told them:
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:14-19).
There’s a lot to unpack in that prayer. Before we get into his actual requests, let’s make sure we understand what he was actually praying about; in other words, what he believed were their real needs. A couple of phrases show that. In verse 16, he talks about “the inner man” and in verse 17, “in your hearts.”
Inner man and hearts. He’s talking about what’s going on inside you. Your spirit – the part of you that’s way down deep, the part you’re protecting and hiding, your deepest holes. 
We have crammed deep inside our fantasies and fears and failures, our guilt and shame, our hurts and disappointments and inadequacies. And our real dreams and desires and hopes. And even deeper are our most tender parts – our uniqueness, who we really are, that strange and holy thing that makes you different from the other 7 billion people on Earth. That’s where our real needs are.
That’s something a lot of us choose to ignore. You don’t want to go there. I don’t. You want to keep all that corralled, locked up, untouchable. You may even deny that it exists.
But that is the most important part of us. Far more important than any of the outer things – appearance, possessions, careers, accomplishments, activities, etc, etc. We know that. We know the outer things are not really what makes a person anything. Just look at the difference between obituaries and advertisements.
Have you ever seen an obituary that said something like:
“John Doe, age 61, of Brush, Colorado, passed away Sunday, August 18. He drove a Next Generation GMC Sierra 1500 light duty pickup which offers the World’s First Six-Function MultiPro™ Tailgate, exclusive ProGrade™ Trailering technology and Best-in-Class cargo box capability, plus intelligent power and performance. Memorial service will be Tuesday, August 20.”
Or:
“Jane Smith, age 43, died Friday, August 16. She used the Nutrisystem Core plan, an easy-to-follow 4-week plan perfectly balanced to put her body in fat-burning mode; more menu variety with flexibility for Jane to choose from 100 delicious meals and snacks; total convenience with popular on-the-go foods delivered to her door. Jane is survived by her husband Tom.”
Or how about:
“Billy Jones, 16 years old, lost his life in a two-car accident on I76, last Thursday, August 15. Billy conquered his virtual enemies with his Sony PlayStation 4, featuring powerful graphics and speed, deeply integrated social capabilities, connected gaming, intelligent personalization, innovative second-screen features and more. The evolved analog sticks and trigger buttons provided unparalleled accuracy with Billy’s every move while innovative technologies offered exciting ways to experience his games and share his greatest moments. Billy will be greatly missed.”
Advertisements claim to tell us what’s important, even necessary, but down deep we know it’s not true. But it’s easier to not go down deep, right?
Paul went down deep in his prayer, because God goes down deep. God goes to the inner man, to the heart. Jesus said to come to him and “you will find rest for your soul” (Matthew 11:29). He said if you believe in him, from your “innermost being will flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:38). God cares about what’s going on inside you. He’s not just concerned about your behaviors and actions. He cares about your wounded soul. He cares about the brokenness and pain you carry in your heart. He cares about the failure and guilt in your spirit. God cares about your dreams and desires and hopes and joys.
So in this prayer, Paul is asking for God’s touch on the inner man. He asks for the heavenly Father to bring his resources – “the riches of his glory” – into our hearts. God has what we need in our souls. He has what it takes to heal and restore and renew our hearts. He has whatever we need to get our spirits out of the mess they’re stuck in and start moving forward and keep growing until we are alive and whole from the inside out. God has the resources and he will give them. He will give you what you need in the most tender parts of your soul.
God will give. The question is, “Will we receive?” You have to open the gate where you’ve corralled your spirit and let the Holy Spirit in. You have to unlock the safe where you’ve hidden your soul and let Jesus reach for it. You have to uncover your heart and let God touch it.
So, before we get into this prayer by Paul, let’s pray ourselves. Take a few minutes (or hours or days) to talk to God about your inner man, about what’s going on inside you, about receiving his resources. Ask God to help you see and trust what he has for you…
The first thing Paul asked in his prayer was “to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner man” (verse 16). Two power words. “Strengthen” means fortify, reinforce, make stronger. “Power” means ability. The prayer is for God to fortify you so you will have the ability to do what’s needed. It’s “in the inner man.” Strength down deep inside. Reinforcement within. Power at the core of your being, in the foundation of who you are – what you believe, think, feel, and desire.
When the concrete foundation of a building is made, forms are built, ditches dug, and sand or gravel spread on the ground where the concrete will be poured. But one more thing is needed. Rebar. 
Steel rods are driven into the ground in the ditches and more steel rods are tied to those running the length of the ditches. More steel rods are criss-crossed on top of the ground and tied together. Then the concrete is poured over the rebar. Without steel in the concrete, the foundation would break apart.
Paul prayed that you have steel in your soul. That you have the power to do what it takes in whatever circumstance or need you have to deal with. He knew what he was talking about. In 2 Corinthians, he said he had “fears within” (7:5). In Romans, he described a war within himself between his desire to do good and the pull to do evil (7:21-23). He knew what it was like to feel weak inside. And he knew what it was like to have steel in his soul. He wrote in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” God enabled him to do what he needed to do.
When you open up your heart and soul to him, the Spirit of God strengthens you. He strengthens by communicating truth and wisdom and guidance. By giving assurance that God is with you at all times. By clarifying God’s will and promises so you have confidence. By showing you how God is working with you and with others and in circumstances.
When you have challenges that are beyond your ability to handle, you can see yourself as incompetent and a failure, too weak to do what you need to. The Spirit strengthens you by leading you to act by faith in God’s competency and his provision and blessing on your actions. I still marvel that I can stand in front of a group of people and teach and preach. When I was in high school and had to give book reports or do anything in front of a class, I almost died. I would turn red and get hot and sweaty and bury my face in the papers and never look up. When I went into counseling at-risk kids, not just church kids or even average kids, but kids who were this far away from being locked up, I wasn’t sure how I could do it, even though I wanted to. But I did it for 6 years. I learned how to do those things but it was more than just getting experience. I believed it was God’s calling for me and I trusted him to enable me. God does give you the abilities you need to handle your challenges and responsibilities. The Spirit leads you to act with faith in your soul.
When your heart has been battered and beaten and worn down by people and circumstances and your own choices, you’re weak and fragile and not sure how much more you can take. The Spirit can heal your heart and reinforce your spirit with his love. He assures you that you belong to God, and God hasn’t been battered and worn down. He reminds you that God plans for you to be victorious and he’s not going to change his plans. He shows you how to rest and be refreshed in Christ and how to depend on God’s grace and truth for the power you need.
What do you need steel in your soul for? What are you dealing with that you need to be strengthened with power in your inner man? Ask for it. The Spirit of God will bring what you need from the riches of God’s glory. Let the Spirit move deep inside. Let him prepare your heart. Let him change your heart. Let him make your heart strong.
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