30 Mar 2023 · 1 min
A short devotional podcast episode (#083) by Shelley Hitz (owner/founder of Christian Book Academy) offering a guided breathing exercise and a prayer of strength based on Ephesians 3:14–21 (ESV). Shelley encourages scripture memorization, mentions a free online group (Biblememorygoal.com), reads the passage aloud as a prayer, and closes with a blessing for listeners.
Hey, hit splits Family. This is Shelly Hitz, the owner and founder of Christian Book Academy. And in this episode, I just wanted to share a prayer for strength. I have been memorizing Ephesians 3, 14, 21 in the ESV, and it talks about being strengthened with power through his inner spirit or through his spirit in your inner being. And I just wanted to pray this verse, these verses over you. And if you can right now, just take a few deep breaths. Breathe in. Try to breathe in through your belly, your diaphragm. Breathe out. And if you can't breathe out longer than you breathe in. Go ahead and do that for a few breaths.
Just calm your nervous system down. And then if you are in a place to do this, go ahead and close your eyes. You might even open your hands like you're willing to receive strength from the Lord today. So I'm actually going to read this just to make sure I don't miss anything. But this has been such a good passage to memorize. And if you want to memorize more scripture, I am part of a online group called Biblememorygoal.com it's an amazing group and it's free to join, so definitely check that out if you're interested in memorizing scripture. But I just want to pray this over you today.
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father from Whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory, he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. There's so many nuggets, there's so many good reminders in this scripture. You may even just want to start reading it several days in a row. Just let it go into your soul. Saturate yourself in it, and I pray that it blesses you. I will talk to you in the next episode. Buh. Bye.