The Posture, Petition, and Purpose and Praise of Paul's Prayer

"Thoughts and Prayers” is a common and kind comment, perhaps on a social media post or as a reply in a text message. In our post-evangelical world of the 2020s, “in God we trust” is accurately a fill-in-the-blank as practice for our culture.

“In no God do I trust” is the refrain of many.

Perhaps fairly echoing the the money on which our national motto is written, “In Gold I trust” is the praxis on which most americans currently live.

“In self I trust,”

“In science I trust”

“in guns I trust”

“in Allah (the Arabic contraction of the word god) I trust.”

There are a plethora of possible options for what people trust in in the 2020s.

What we trust in determines how we interpret “thoughts and prayers.” we don’t want to pray for people if they don’t want us to, but we figure that no one minds of thinking of them, as long as the thoughts are possible. It almost conveys the idea that what people really need for help, healing, or harmony in their life is a conglomeration of positive energy radiating from as many people as possible up to, out to, or for whatever being or entity that might determine our destiny. Wow, a crazy place is the synergistic syncretism or more accurately omnism of American religion.

But, my friends, we don’t have to be so. We can be confident in whom we believe, in what we believe, and to whom do we pray. Let’s look at one of Paul’s prayers so we can do better than “thoughts and prayers” in our church and to our community. I invite you to stand for the reading of God’s Word.

Ephesians 3:14–21 “14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 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, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

Ephesians 3:14–15 “14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,”

Paul begins with what I like to call a wonderful posture of prayer.

Outline

Posture of prayer (3:14-15)

Submission to God’s Position

Admiration of God’s Authority

Recognition of God’s Revelation as trinity.

Petition (3:16)

Strengthened in the inner person

Purpose

To Comprehend Christ’s Love (3:18)

That you might be filled up to all the fullness of God in Christ (3:19b)

Praise (3:20-21)

Posture of prayer (3:14-15)

When you pray, what is your posture before God? I’m not asking what your physical posture is, whether you are kneeling or standing, or laying flat on your back, or lifting your hands. Rather, I am asking what is your approach to God in prayer. Is your prayer life a lifeline when you need to demand something from your Heavenly vending machine? Is prayer a crutch that you use when the walk of your life is limping and you need a little help? Let’s look at verses 14-15 again

this verb bow, or in greek kamptō is only used three other times in the New Testament. Romans 11:4, Romans 14:11, and Phil 2:10.

Romans 11:4 “4 But what is God’s reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.””

Romans 14:11 “11 for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.””

Philippians 2:10 “10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,”

In each of these verses outside of Ephesians we see the bending of the knee as a submission to God as the ultimate authority in Heaven.

The important part of a posture of prayer has little to do with your physical position, and more to do with your heart attitude. In the Bible we see Ezra go to his knees to pray in Ezra 10, Joshua fall prostrate upon his face in Josh 7:6, Elijah put his face between his knees in 1 kings 18, and Hannah, the mother of Samuel, stood to pray in 1 Sam 1:26. A posture of prayer is less your physical approach and more your spiritual approach.

The first part of a proper posture of prayer is to recognize God’s ultimate authority over all. When Paul prays, “Father,” He recognizes (1) God’s trinitarian nature, (2) His creative power in being the cosmic father of all, including all spiritual beings (also see eph 1:10), and (3) his currently active role in space and time and history, not as a dead or uninterested God, but as the involved father of each person.

When we pray to God the father, as Jesus taught us to pray, we are praying to, not just the cosmic Father of all, but also to our heavenly father who loves us with an everlasting love, and who loves to give his children good gifts.

Matthew 7:9–11 “9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”

Recognition of God’s Revelation as trinity.

Father ( Ephesians 3:14 “14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,”)

Spirit (Ephesians 3:16 “16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,”)

Son (Ephesians 3:17 “17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love,” )

Recognition of God’s revelation (of who He is in relation to

“English translations cannot easily show the wordplay between “Father” (pater) and “family” (patria).” -Klyne Snodgrass

Petition

Request: Strengthened in the inner person (eph 3:16)

Result: So that Christ may dwell in your hearts (eph 3:17)

Purpose: so that you might be able to comprehend (eph 3:18)

Result: So to know Christ’s love (eph 3:19a)

Purpose: That you might be filled up to all the fullness of God in Christ (eph 3:19b)

Purpose: you might be able to comprehend (3:18)

Result: and so to know Christ’s love (3:19a)

Purpose: that you might be filled up to all the fullness of God (3:19b)

That you may have power to grasp (v 18), to know (v 19), you have be filled (v 19)