In 2016, I hit a low point in my life. My wife Katie was battling unexplained health issues that kept her bedridden, our marriage was struggling under the weight of the stress, and I was experiencing an overwhelming, daily fear of failure.
During those dark months, I realized something critical: you cannot generate inner strength through positive thinking exercises, nor can you find it in self-help books. The only way to overcome a crisis is to surrender and ask our Heavenly Father to strengthen you by the power of His Holy Spirit.
During that season, there was one specific passage of Scripture I prayed almost daily to help me endure. If you are feeling emotionally, spiritually, or physically weary today, praying through Ephesians 3:13–21 can radically reshape your heart and give you the power to stand.
Understanding the Reality of Weariness
All of us face seasons that leave us weak, weary, and easily discouraged. Perhaps you are currently caring for a sick loved one, grieving a painful loss, navigating major financial uncertainty, or enduring a high-pressure work environment. Sometimes, we even become weak just watching someone we love suffer.
Even in this present season, my family and I are navigating a major life transition and facing an unexpected financial expense. I will not sugarcoat it—it is difficult and stressful.
When trials hit, the world offers plenty of superficial distractions to numb the pain. But where do you actually go for lasting strength?
In Ephesians 3:13, Paul writes from a Roman prison:
"Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory."
Typically, those who are free pray for the one in chains. Yet, in the midst of his suffering, Paul prays for these believers so that they will not lose heart.
This reveals a profound truth: our personal struggles deeply impact those who love us. When we seek the Father’s strength to endure, we are not just receiving help for ourselves—we are modeling faith and protecting those around us from falling into despair.
The Power of Humility in Prayer
To receive God's strength, we must approach Him with the right heart posture. Paul outlines his approach in verses 14–15:
"For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named..."
The physical act of bowing shows inward humility and submission. If you are physically able, I highly encourage kneeling when you pray. When I try to pray while casually sitting on the couch, I often find it difficult to focus. But when I get down on my knees or flat on my face, my heart attitude shifts. I soften, and my mind focuses on the majesty of God.
Notice specifically who we are bowing to: the Father. In ancient Hebrew context, "father" literally signifies the "strength of the house." Our Heavenly Father is the definitive source of all true strength.
Your earthly father may not have provided a perfect example of God’s love or protection, and perhaps he wasn't there for you when you were struggling. But we have a Heavenly Father whose strength never fails and whose love never runs out. He has absolute authority to provide exactly what you need.
Four Scriptural Requests for Inner Strength
When you look closely at Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3, you will find four specific requests that you can begin praying over your own life today.
1. Pray for Spiritual Strength in the Inner Man
In verse 16, Paul asks:
"...that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man."
The "inner man" refers to who you are on the inside—your thoughts, your emotions, and your core affections. In the midst of suffering, this is where we become vulnerable. The human mind and emotions are the primary battlefield, and the battle is won or lost right here. Because you cannot generate this endurance on your own, you must ask the Father to empower your inner man through the Holy Spirit.
2. Pray that Christ Would Dwell Deeply in Your Heart
Verse 17 continues:
"...that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith..."
For Christ to dwell richly within us, our old self—our fleshly ways of thinking, reacting, and coping—must die (Galatians 2:20). We invite Him to occupy our hearts by letting His Word dwell in us richly (Colossians 3:16). As we read, study, and meditate on Scripture, His truth replaces our anxiety. When we speak His Word over our situations and walk in active obedience, our faith is fortified.
3. Pray to Comprehend the Immeasurable Love of Christ
In verses 17–19, Paul prays:
"...that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge..."
A profound internal strength comes from knowing, without a doubt, that you are fiercely loved by God. Romans 8:37–39 promises that absolute nothing in creation can separate us from His love.
When trials hit, the enemy floods your mind with fearful thoughts. Yet, 1 John 4:18 reminds us that perfect love casts out fear. Faith does not simply displace fear; it is God’s love that drives it away. Meditating on His immeasurable love builds an unshakeable foundation beneath your feet.
4. Pray to Be Filled with the Fullness of God
Finally, the second half of verse 19 petitions:
"...that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."
This is the ultimate goal of prayer. When we are strengthened in the inner man, when Christ dwells in us, and when we grasp His love, we are systematically emptied of our self-reliance and filled with Him.
If you allow it, this is exactly what suffering can produce: genuine humility. When we recognize that we cannot survive by our own power and completely surrender, He fills us with His Spirit and empowers us to walk in victory.
An Assurance Beyond Your Expectations
As you pray these four things, take hold of the great assurance found in verses 20–21:
"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."
There is absolutely nothing God cannot do. When we walk through trials, we often try to imagine the best possible human outcome, but God is able to do exceedingly beyond our highest imaginations.
We saw this firsthand in our own family. As Katie and I committed to seeking the Lord for His strength rather than our own solutions, He began healing our hearts and restoring our marriage. That emotional and spiritual restoration eventually led to Katie’s physical healing. Then, in 2018—after more than four years of infertility and nearly giving up hope—God blessed us with our second child.
When you stop placing your faith in your own coping mechanisms and start anchoring it in His goodness, He carries out a perfect will that far outlasts the trial.
A 7-Day Challenge to Transform Your Prayer Life
Ephesians 3:13–21 provides a permanent, scriptural template for how to pray when you are weak.
I want to challenge you to write down one specific area where you have felt weak, anxious, or discouraged over the past month. Commit to getting down on your knees each morning over the next seven days to pray through this text, line by line, inserting your situation into the verses.
As we overcome by His strength, He receives all the glory and honor through our lives—which is exactly what we were created for.
A Prayer for Spiritual Strength
Heavenly Father, I bow my knees before You today, acknowledging that You are the source of all strength. I ask that according to the riches of Your glory, You would grant me to be strengthened with might through Your Spirit in my inner man. Let Christ dwell in my heart through faith. Root and ground me so deeply in Your love that all fear is cast out. Fill me with Your fullness, and let Your power work within me to do exceedingly abundantly above all that I could ask or think. In Jesus' name, Amen.
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