Peace be with you,

dear brothers and sisters,

and may God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

give you love with faithfulness.

May God’s grace be eternally upon all

who love our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 6:23-24

Pray in the Spirit at all times

and on every occasion.

Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers

for all believers everywhere.

And pray for me,

too.

Ask God to give me the right words

so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan…

pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him…

Ephesians 6:18-20

Therefore,

put on every piece of God’s armor

so you will be able to resist the enemy 

in the time of evil…

the belt of truth…

the body armor of God’s righteousness…

the peace that comes from the Good News…

the shield of faith…

salvation…

and take the sword of the Spirit,

which is the word of God.

Ephesians 6:13-17

A final word:

Be strong in the Lord

and in his mighty power.

Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to

to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 

For we are not fighting against 

flesh-and-blood enemies,

but against evil rulers and authorities 

of the unseen world,

against mighty powers in this dark world,

and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

Ephesians 6:10-12

…once you were full of darkness,

but now you have light from the Lord.

So live as people of light!

For this light within you 

produces only what is good and right and true.

Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.

Take no part 

in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness;

instead,

expose them. 

Ephesians 5:8-11

Live a life filled with love,

following the example of Christ.

He loved us

and offered himself as a sacrifice for us,

a pleasing aroma to God.

Let there be no sexual immorality,

impurity,

or greed among you.

Such sins have no place among God’s people.

Obscene stories,

foolish talk,

and coarse jokes—

these are not for you.

Instead,

let there be thankfulness to God.

Ephesians 5:2-4

Don’t use foul or abusive language.

Let everything you say be good and helpful,

so that your words will be an encouragement

to those who hear them.

And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit

by the way you live… 

Instead,

be kind to each other,

tenderhearted,

forgiving one another,

just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Ephesians 4:29-30, 32

Always be humble and gentle.

Be patient with each other,

making allowance for each other’s faults

because of your love.

Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit,

binding yourselves together with peace.

Ephesians 4:2-3

Blessings of making allowance,

Jan

Now all glory to God,

who is able,

through his mighty power at work within us,

to accomplish infinitely more

than we might ask or think.

Glory to him in the church and in Jesus Christ

through all generations forever and ever!

Amen.

Ephesians 3:20-21

Because of Christ and our faith in him,

we can now come boldly and confidently

into God’s presence.

So please don’t lose heart…

I pray that from his glorious,

unlimited resources

he will empower you with inner strength

through his Spirit.

Ephesians 3:12-13, 16