NewLife News: The Attributes of God - Power

1/29/2025

“Being strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might,
for all endurance and patience with joy.” Col. 1:11, ESV

The Apostle Paul speaks frequently about God’s power. He tells us the Gospel is the power of God for salvation (Rom. 1:16). He tells us the cross of Christ is foolishness to those who don’t believe but to those who do, it’s the power of God (1 Cor. 1: 18). Paul wanted to know the power of the Resurrection of Christ (Phil. 3:10) and Paul longed for the day that Jesus will transform our bodies to become like His, by His power (Phil. 3:21).

There’s one other thing that Paul often did when he spoke on God’s power: he prayed for it for others. For example, in the Scripture above, Paul prays that the Colossian believers would be strengthened. How did he pray they would be strengthened? He asked that they would receive all power and this power would come from God’s might. In short, he is asking God, in His power, to strengthen the Colossian believers to go the distance, that they might have endurance to walk the long road of faith. It takes real strength and stamina to run a long distance course.

Here, Paul sounds like the prophet Isaiah who reminds us that even youths will grow weary and tired but those who hope in the Lord shall renew their strength (Is. 40:30-31). This is a wonderful thing to pray for another believer. We can pray His strength for them, that His power enables them to walk confidently in uncertain times, and that they rely on His strength in times of illness, difficulty, or confusion. His strength is appropriate to pray for each and every believer, regardless of their situation, because we all need His power to live this Christian life.

Let’s Seek Him in His Power this week,
Pastor Andy

Questions for reflection and application:

Share a time you experienced God’s power personally or in your family.
Do you think God’s power can be misunderstood? How so?
Who is someone in your life that you need to pray for and ask God to strengthen them?

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