Praying for God to Fill Us (Eph. 3:14–21)

Series: Ephesians: Building the ChurchText: Ephesians 3:14–2

By: Shaun Marksbury Date: February 19, 2023

Venue: Living Water Baptist ChurchOccasion: PM Service

Introduction

How important is prayer in the life of the church? Here, for the second time in Ephesians, Paul gives us a model prayer for the life of the church. The first time was in chapter one, where he stated just how he gives thanks for them and how he prays. Now, he again records a prayer for the church, as the church always needs help. What do you pray for when you pray for the church?

Last time, we were talking about the mysterious unity between the Jews and Gentiles in the church. This thought had prompted Paul to write about the dispensation, the administration, of the church age. The nature of the church age is new revelation, something that no one knew before the first century. Now, God graciously discloses it to His people.

Even so, this thought also leads Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to again pray for the Ephesians. He’s communicating the content of his prayer for them, perhaps even beginning with v. 13. He starts with a “therefore” to sum up vv. 1–12; “Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory.” In v. 21, he says the glory belongs to Christ. He hopes that the Gentiles in Ephesus will embrace this prayer for them.

He's clearly taken up in prayer for them. As we get to v. 14, we note that it starts the same as v. 1 did — “For this reason I,” meaning this prayer was on the tip of his tongue (or pen) at the beginning of this chapter. Now, as he transitions into this prayer for the Ephesians, we’ll note that its main thrust is spiritual blessing, not temporal. We’ll see that in his approach to God, his appeal, and his amen, which should be what we pray for our church, as well.

First, the Prayerful Approach to God (vv. 14–15)

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,

We can start by considering Paul’s physical position before God. Kneeling denotes humility — remember the contrast between the tax collector and the Pharisee (Luke 18:9–14). Eventually, God will cause every knee to bow before the name of Jesus (Phil. 2:10), but Paul’s approach to God on his knees is obviously in willing submission and reverence.

Now, there’s no command for us only to kneel when we pray, though many other saints did so (cf. Ezra 9:5, 6; Psa. 95:6; Dan. 6:10). Scripture also describes the sorrowful lying face-down in prayer (2 Sam. 12:15–20; Matt. 26:39). It also describes standing in prayer, of which Jesus approves (Mark 11:25). In another instance, David sat while praying about the temple (1 Chr. 17:16), which is good to reflect upon as you sit and pray. It even depicts prayer in bed (Psa. 63:6; cf. Psa. 1:2), though one may find their prayers cut short in that position!

Someone wisely said that the position of the heart is far more important. So, we see that Paul is kneeling “before the Father.” That’s the main truth we take away from this.

Paul reminds us of the Father in v. 15. We have the correct translation here; it’s “every family in heaven and on earth,” not “the whole family” as the NIV has. This simply means that mankind exists in Adam, the son or special creation of God. All mankind bears the image of God. Still, Scripture notes a spiritual division, primarily between two families, God and the devil (cf. John 8:39–42; 1 John 3:10) — though God is always adopting.

What about families “in heaven”? Is this talking about angels? Many commentaries agree; in fact, the Reformation Study Bible notes, “Jewish intertestamental and rabbinic literature refers to families of angels.” Not only is there a hierarchy of God’s servants, there are holy angels and unholy, just as there are people of God and people of the devil.

Perhaps Paul is simply recalling v. 9, the “God who created all things,” by noting all families on earth and angels in the heavens are created by the Father. Still, we can’t help but notice the similarities between this and the Lord’s prayer. Jesus said to say in prayer, “Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

All of this demonstrates humility and reverence in approach. This should be the kind of attitude we have as we approach the throne about anything. It’s true that we have confidence in Christ, but we should beware a flippant approach. We should also be aware of what to pray for, as we see next.

Second, the Prayerful Appeal to God (vv. 16–19)

that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

Paul prays that God would grant them something according to the wealth of God’s glory, not wealth/ riches. This is a spiritual blessing that comes not out of His riches but “according to” them. Paul already mentioned this abundance in the prayer of chapter one, that they would know “what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints” (1:18). He also said that God called him “to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ” (3:8). Paul prays that God’s character, power, and resources, expressed as God’s glory, would enrich the Ephesians’ spiritual lives.

There’s an example here to how pastors should pray. Calvin says, “Let pastors learn from Paul’s example, not only to admonish and exhort their people, but to entreat the Lord to bless their labours, that they may not be unfruitful. Nothing will be gained by their industry and toil, —all their study and application will be to no purpose, except so far as the Lord bestows his blessing.” All Christians, though, should take note of three ways to pray for the enrichment of the church — pray for the church’s inner strength, the church’s inner grasp, and the church’s inner fulness. Let’s look at the first one.

Pray for the Church’s Inner Strength (v. 16–17a)

that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;

Note the passive; God’s doing the strengthening. He’s granting strength to the believer. Several verses contain a passive command, like “be strong” (1 Cor. 16:13). Elsewhere, Paul said that Christ strengthens him (Phil. 4:13), and he prays that Christians would be “strengthened with all power, according to [God’s] glorious might” (Col. 1:11). Paul prays for a supernatural strengthening with power here.

Some who have a more Charismatic focus on “power” might think of supernatural signs and wonders. However, this is an inner strengthening, in the inner man — in the soul or spirit. As such, the strengthening was not primarily physical but psychological.

This is one of the roles of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Walking according to the Spirit prevents one from fulfilling the desires of the flesh (Gal. 5:16). Paul said that, despite his inability to live perfectly by it, his inner man “joyfully concurred with the law of God” (Rom. 7:22). This is a work of the Holy Spirit within a person.

Verse seventeen somehow parallels this request. As one commentary described, this is likely the purpose or result of the previous request. It helpfully translates this, “I pray that the Father may give to you … to be strengthened with power in the inner man through his Spirit, with the result that Christ may dwell in your hearts.”

Does Christ indwell people? Yes, and Paul also said this in 2 Corinthians 13:5. In John 14:23, Jesus said both He and the Father would make their abode in the believer. Yet, in the last chapter, Paul said of the church that “you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit” (2:22). In Romans 8, it’s very confusing; the believer is described as having “the Spirit of God” indwelling (v. 9, which is used synonymously with “the Spirit of Christ”), as having “Christ… in you” (v. 10), and the indwelling “Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead” (or the Father, v. 11, also “His Spirit” in the same verse)! Perhaps it’s best to understand this as the Father and the Son indwelling us through the Holy Spirit.

Okay, but if the Ephesians are believers, then doesn’t Christ already indwell them? Of course, there might be unbelievers in the Ephesian church who this prayer would cover in a significant way. Even so, this prayer has specific application to the believer. Consider this: Since the heart is the center of man, Christ dwelling in the heart means that He drives our moral faculties.

Paul’s prayer isn’t about salvation, but sanctification. One commentator explains it this way. “ ‘Dwell’ (katoikēsai) refers not to the beginning of Christ’s indwelling at the moment of salvation. Instead it denotes the desire that Christ may, literally, ‘be at home in,’ that is, at the very center of or deeply rooted in, believers’ lives. They are to let Christ become the dominating factor in their attitudes and conduct.”

That means that this isn’t centrally a prayer for unbelievers (“Ask Jesus in your heart”) but a prayer to God for believers (“May Christ permanently indwell and be central to you”). This is the strengthening of the inner man. “You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 Jon 4:4). This is an incredible prayer for power, and Paul models more.

Pray for the Church’s Inner Grasp (v. 17b–19a)

and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge,

Perhaps the two perfect passive participles to describe the Christian’s relationship to God’s love. God must take His perfect love and root and ground us in it. The first is an agricultural reference, and the second in an architectural one. We must stand in His love, drawing everything from it.

This love is part of the grace He imparts to believers. This grace helps believers grow in their love for God and for each other. And Paul prays that God would grace believers to know more about it, the very dimensions of it.

This is a supernatural knowledge, and Paul hoped the Ephesians and all the rest of the saints would obtain this comprehension. This isn’t to be a privatized experience, but one that all believers can share. The individual Christian should never seek individual edification to the exclusion of others, seeking out hidden knowledge about which other Christians are ignorant. Rather, we should desire the mutual edification of the church, which is part of what God is wanting to reveal here.

The incalculable measurements of God’s love include such wide-reaching dimensions as being extended to both Jews and Gentiles, even to you. God’s love continues the entire length of history, including the entire span of your life, with all its sins. God’s love reaches the heights of the heavens, where our salvation is reserved until the last day. God’s love reaches down even to the depths of where you are, pictured by the old rugged cross. We can’t line this up perfectly for, just as His wisdom, God’s love is multifaceted; we can only grow in our appreciation of it as He reveals yet another angle or dimension to it.

Verse nineteen seems to continue this thought. He prays that the Gentile Ephesians could know “the love of the Christ which surpasses knowledge” (or “the Messiah”). Elsewhere, we read that the peace of God “surpasses all comprehension” (Phil. 4:7), but here it’s love. It’s beyond us, it always will be, and yet Paul prays that we would understand it more. When we see how much God loves us despite our sin, we can only begin to understand.

Pray for the Church’s Inner Fullness (v. 19b)

that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

We won’t spend as much time on this section, because we already sense God’s fullness! We already read that the body of Christ, the church, is “the fullness of Him who fills all in all” (1:23). Christ fills all the church, and in a way, positionally, has already completely filled believers (Col. 2:9–10). However, the individual members of the church and the individual congregations may not know or experience this fulness. The Ephesian church, with as well as it was doing, still needed to be perfected. We read more about what it means to be filled with the Spirit of God in Ephesians 5:18–21.

With that said, Paul begins to sign off his prayer. We’ll see his doxology in the benediction he writes. So, let’s now turn to his “amen.”

Third, the Prayerful Paul’s Amen to God (vv. 20–21)

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

Paul ties up his prayer much like the Lord’s prayer — “for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever.” He’s affirming that God’s will and glory. He stated elsewhere that God is able to make all grace abound toward believers (2 Cor. 9:8). Here, God is not only able to do “all we ask or think,” but He is able to do it both “far more abundantly” and “beyond all.”

All of this, Paul says, is “according to the power that works within us.” The same power of v. 16, the same power that granted Paul the ability to minister (v. 7). Note that Paul confidently says this power is currently working in us. We pray that the power increases, but as this works within superabundantly more than we ask or think, it is always works.

Verse twenty-one starts similarly to v. 20, “to Him.” Note that the glory is “in the church,” which is supposed to be full of God, Christ, God’s love, and power. The glory is also “in Christ Jesus,” and the Father will receive all glory Christ receives. When all is operating rightly, the glory of God is present for all to see, “to all generations forever and ever.” And indeed, amen, “so be it.”

Conclusion

This is quite the prayer for the spiritual welfare of the church. So, if you are looking for something to pray for your church, for your friends and family in the church, it is this. Pray that God would grant these truths to each of us in the church. And, while you’re on your knees, you’re not being selfish to pray that God would grant them for yourself.