May He Strengthen You

Elizabeth Elliott

Often I pray for someone whose circumstances or
needs are unknown to me. There are many prayers
in Paul's letters which may be used for almost
anyone. One of my favorites is in Colossians
1:9-12. A part of this prayer asks "May He
strengthen you, in His glorious might, with ample
power to meet whatever comes with fortitude,
patience and joy, and to give thanks to the
Father" (NEB).

That seems to cover every possibility. It does
not ask for instant solutions or reversals. It
does not call on God for miraculous deliverance
out of any trouble that might come. It asks for a
truly Christian response, by the sufficient power
of God: to meet whatever comes as a true
Christian should meet it, with the Holy Spirit's
gifts of fortitude, patience, and joy. It asks
for the power to give thanks. It takes power,
doesn't it, to thank the Father when everything
in us protests? But we find in Him (not always in
what happens to us) plenty of reason to thank Him
and plenty of power.