I pray God, says the apostle, that you be strengthened, that you might live out of faith in the abiding Christ within you. Is that your prayer? Is that your heartfelt need after a week? Do you pray, “Lord, strengthen the life of Christ in me, the life of faith, the inward man. Strengthen the truth that Christ abides in me and that I am His child”? We do not need to be exhorted to make such a prayer with respect to our bodies. We want our bodies to be firm, toned. With respect to our finances, we want them to be strong. With respect to our emotional life, we want them to be strong. With respect to our business, we want a strong, flourishing business. But all of those things, say the Scriptures, belong to the perishing, earthly life. They are important. But on your deathbed, you are not going to say, “I wish I had been stronger in my shoulder. I wish I had a stronger portfolio.” On your deathbed, as a child of God, you are going to pray, “Lord, I wish (I see very plainly now), I wish all my days had been stronger spiritually, with the abiding Jesus Christ.” Is that your prayer? ~Rev. C. Haak