April 2023

PIHOP Scripture Focus

1 Chronicles 16:8-36 • Ephesians 3:16-20

1 Chronicles 16:8-36

NKJV

Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; talk of all His wondrous works! 10  Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord! 11 Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face evermore! 12 Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth, 13  O seed of Israel His servant, you children of Jacob, His chosen ones! 14 He is the Lord our God; His judgments are in all the earth. 

15 Remember His covenant forever, the word which He commanded, for a thousand generations, 16 The covenant which He made with Abraham, and His oath to Isaac, 17 and confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, to Israel for an everlasting covenant, 18 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan as the allotment of your inheritance,” 19 when you were few in number, Indeed very few, and strangers in it. 

20 When they went from one nation to another, and from one kingdom to another people, 21 He permitted no man to do them wrong; yes, He rebuked kings for their sakes, 22 Saying, “Do not touch My anointed ones, and do My prophets no harm.”

23 Sing to the Lord, all the earth;  proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. 24 Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. 25 For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised; He is also to be feared above all gods. 26 For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. 27 Honor and majesty are before Him; strength and gladness are in His place. 

28 Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples, give to the Lord glory and strength. 29 Give to the Lord the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness! 30 Tremble before Him, all the earth. The world also is firmly established, it shall not be moved. 

31 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; and let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.” 32 Let the sea roar, and all its fullness; let the field rejoice, and all that is in it. 33 Then the trees of the woods shall rejoice before the Lord, for He is coming to judge the earth.

34 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. 35 And say, “Save us, O God of our salvation; gather us together, and deliver us from the Gentiles, to give thanks to Your holy name, to triumph in Your praise.”

36 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting! And all the people said, “Amen!” and praised the Lord.

Ephesians 3:16-20 (Apostolic Prayer) 

NKJV

that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; 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; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 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...


ESV

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...


The Amplified Bible

May He grant you out of the riches of His glory, to be strengthened and spiritually energized with power through His Spirit in your inner self, [indwelling your innermost being and personality], so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through your faith. And may you, having been [deeply] rooted and [securely] grounded in love, be fully capable of comprehending with all the saints (God’s people) the width and length and height and depth of His love [fully experiencing that amazing, endless love]; and [that you may come] to know [practically, through personal experience] the love of Christ which far surpasses [mere] knowledge [without experience], that you may be filled up [throughout your being] to all the fullness of God [so that you may have the richest experience of God’s presence in your lives, completely filled and flooded with God Himself]. Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us...


NIV

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us...


NLT

I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.


TPT

And I pray that he would unveil within you the unlimited riches of his glory and favor until supernatural strength floods your innermost being with his divine might and explosive power. Then, by constantly using your faith, the life of Christ will be released deep inside you, and the resting place of his love will become the very source and root of your life. Then you will be empowered to discover what every holy one experiences—the great magnitude of the astonishing love of Christ in all its dimensions. How deeply intimate and far-reaching is his love! How enduring and inclusive it is! Endless love beyond measurement that transcends our understanding—this extravagant love pours into you until you are filled to overflowing with the fullness of God! Never doubt God's mighty power to work in you and accomplish all this. He will achieve infinitely more than your greatest resquest, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination! He will outdo them all, for his miraculous power constantly energizes you. 


The Message

I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God. God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.