Powerful Prayers

Distracted from Prayer

I am sure you can relate to my struggle to pray.

I always go in with great intentions, a desire to pour out my soul to the Lord, to pray over the people and situations that are on my mind and my heart, and even to possibly hear from the Lord on something I have been praying for or about.

I close my eyes, bow my head, and ...remember I didn’t respond to the message I got earlier in the day. Better do that when I am done.

Wait, today is Tuesday, I think UK plays tonight. Is this Oscar’s last season playing.

We are out of sausage for breakfast in the morning. I should probably run by the store on the way home.

Who just texted me? Might have been Pam telling me she would get sausage.

Staying focused in prayer is often quite difficult to do.

Ephesians 3 is Paul’s second recorded prayer in the book of Ephesians, but it almost appears Paul fell into the same distraction trap we often fall into.

It seems like Paul begins a prayer for the Ephesians in vs 1 based off of all he has said in the previous chapters.

His rabbit trail is prompted by the description he gives of himself there in verse 1, “the prisoner of Christ Jesus...”

One commentator commented “He hears the clink of his chain, and remembers where he is and why he is there.”

Though it seems like Paul is off course in his prayer and doesn’t pick it up again until verse 14.

He is actually reflecting on his own position in life in light of all that he has already said.

Before he can pray he has to share what really motivates his prayers for them.

He describes himself in three ways which reveal three keys to powerful prayers.

Ephesians 3:1–21 CSB

1 For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—2 assuming you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that he gave me for you. 3 The mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have briefly written above. 4 By reading this you are able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ. 5 This was not made known to people in other generations as it is now revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: 6 The Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and partners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 7 I was made a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of his power. 8 This grace was given to me—the least of all the saints—to proclaim to the Gentiles the incalculable riches of Christ, 9 and to shed light for all about the administration of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things. 10 This is so that God’s multi-faceted wisdom may now be made known through the church to the rulers and authorities in the heavens. 11 This is according to his eternal purpose accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 In him we have boldness and confident access through faith in him. 13 So, then, I ask you not to be discouraged over my afflictions on your behalf, for they are your glory. 14 For this reason I kneel before the Father 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. 16 I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit, 17 and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, 19 and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us—21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Paul was a PRISONER of Christ.

Ephesians 3:1 CSB

1 For this reason, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—

Most scholars believe Paul is writing this letter from a Roman prison.

He is a prisoner of the Romans government because of his preaching and ministry.

Though Paul is sitting in a Romans prison and accused of committing crimes against the empire of Rome, he doesn’t see his imprisonment in that way.

Paul sees his current lot in life as a result of his identity as a prisoner of Christ.

It might sound odd to our ears to describe oneself as a “Prisoner of Christ”

Aren’t we supposed to be free in Christ?

How can Paul be proud that he is in prison as a result of following the call of God on his life?

Because Paul understood that God’s call on our lives as followers of Jesus requires us to surrender our lives to Christ completely.

Paul understood that jail wasn’t a sign of failure, but a consequence of faithfulness to God and His mission.

He understood there was no reason to despair because God had not abandoned him, but was using him and his struggles for the glory of Christ to be made known.

Paul understood this and it is reflected in his prayer.

Prayer requires us to SURRENDER.

Ephesians 3:14–17 (CSB)

14 For this reason I kneel before the Father 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. 16 I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit, 17 and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

Humble surrender defines Paul’s posture and words in this prayer.

I can image Paul kneeling on the cold, hard floor of his cell, eyes closed, hands raised as he prayed this prayer of over the Ephesians.

Kneeling is a posture of surrender as we recognize our lack of strength and power.

That really is what prayer is, isn’t it. An acknowledgement of our inability to fix what is broken in our lives or our inability to know fully what is the right direction for us to go.

Paul prays that we would have strength from from Spirit. That we would know what is feels life to live in the power of God’s Spirit.

And he prays that Christ might dwell, or rule, in our hearts through faith.

Paul is praying that we would surrender to the plans, purposes, and power of God in our lives.

How would that change the way your pray and what you spend your time praying for?

Our prayers are often focused on preventing or fixing struggles and problems we face in life.

But we pray these prayers because we have bought into the lie that God wants our lives to be happy, healthy, and safe.

We would look at someone life Paul getting arrested as something to awful.

To what lengths would we go to keep something like that from happening to us?

If we are going to experience powerful prayer, our first step is to surrender ourselves fully to the Lord.

Paul was a SERVANT of the Gospel.

Ephesians 3:7 CSB

7 I was made a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of his power.

God has revealed to him a great mystery, something hidden in the OT.the gentiles grafted into the family of god.

He had been given the call by God, the responsibility, to bring this good news, reveal this mystery.

Paul’s purpose and focus in life became serving that cause, his God-given call. It is what motivated his prayers.

Paul understood his purpose.

He knew who God had called him to be and what He wanted him to invest his life into.

He was a servant of the gospel, the good news of Jesus and his offer of complete salvation.

Since he encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus, his purpose and perspective in life was to make that good news known to everyone he was able.

Paul understood he wasn’t a servant of the American Dream.

He wasn’t a servant of idealized lifestyle.

He wasn’t a servant of his own pleasure and happiness.

He was a servant of the gospel

Prayer requires proper PERSPECTIVE.

Ephesians 3:17–19 (CSB)

17 I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, 19 and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

what motivates your prayers? Is it God’s mission or your own?

Our prayers come from a perspective governed by the love we have experienced in Christ.

Prayer isn’t meant to serve our own selfish needs and desires, but to serve others and ultimately God’s mission and purposes.

paul prays for gods o

love to take up residence in our hearts. To take over and rule.

Paul prays for them to be “rooted and established in love” and that they would be able to comprehend how big and incredible God’s love is for them.

Paul saw through eyes overwhelmed by god’s unfathomable love and his perspective led him to give his life over to God’s call.

If we don’t see from a perspective of knowing God’s amazing love, our prayers will likely remain mostly self-focused, and likely pretty empty.

Whom are we seeking to serve with our prayers? And what outcome to we long to see and hope to see God accomplish?

Paul was a RECIPIENT of God’s grace.

Ephesians 3:8 CSB

8 This grace was given to me—the least of all the saints—to proclaim to the Gentiles the incalculable riches of Christ,

Paul has a “why me?” sort of moment in verse 8.

Who was he to be chosen and used by God for such an amazing responsibility.

It was only by God’s grace and through His power.

Paul was a Jewish terrorist before he became a Christian.

He went throughout the Jewish towns in the Roman world, after the death and resurrection of Jesus, persecuting those who had trusted in Christ and been saved.

He was deeply committed to the cause of protecting the faith, even if it meant stoning the Christians to death to keep them from preaching.

He was one of the most unlikely converts that ever existed.

As Paul reflects on this, he is struck by God’s grace to call him to do something so incredible.

Prayer requires great EXPECTATION.

Ephesians 3:20–21 CSB

20 Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us—21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

What is God able to do?

Is there really anything we could think of that is too big for God to accomplish?

Of course not, and yet do we pray with that kind of faith, confidence, and expectation?

“To him who is able to do above and beyond all we could ever think/dream/hope for...”

God can do more through one prayer than we can in through years of plotting and planning.

What limits your prayers?

Your imagination?

Your worries and fears?

The distractions of life?

Your sin?

We need a vision of God that increases our faith in His greatness, and the best way for us to do that is to fill our minds with His Word.

James 4:2–3 (CSB)

2 You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and don’t receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.

James 5:16 (CSB)

16 The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.

The only limit to us seeing the hand of God move in our lives and the lives of those around us is the limit of our faith in His abilities and our willingness to pray for Him to act.