Gospel-Centered Church: Empowered by Love through Prayer (Ephesians 3:14-19)

Happy Lord’s Day HCM,

Nineteen days ago, we welcomed 2025. For many of us, that meant setting New Year’s resolutions. I asked around, and here are some of the resolutions people shared:

Mag exercise and kumain ng healthy foods para pumayat

Mag aral ng mabuti para maka graduate

Makapag basa at makatapos ng libro para lumago yung kaalaman

Mag reduce ng online shopping expenses mara makapag save ng money

Mas maging magaling sa trabaho para ma promote

Matapos yung bible reading plan, Mas maging active sa Bible Study, makapag share ng Gospel sa family at sa mga kaibigan at katrabaho para mas lumalim sa Salita ng Diyos, and to grow closer with God

(Tagalugin mo) All of this are good resolutions, but what is the definition of “Resolution” according to Oxford dictionary, a resolution is a firm decision to do or not to do something, it’s the quality of being determined. Resolution is not wishful thinking, when you say this is your resolution, may determinasyon ka na gagawin mo ito para ma reach mo yung goal mo. At the very core of every resolution, is a desire for a real and genuine change. Resolution might be the first important step, but they are a far cry from real, lasting change.

(Tagalugin mo) And that’s what we will examine for today as we study the posture and petition of Paul before God. We will see his humbling request to God for the churches of God so that they would be strengthen, steadfast, and saturated by the immeasurable, intense, incomprehensible love of God that has the power to transform them and us, the people of God. This what brings a true and lasting change.

(Tagalugin mo) May I invite you to stand up as we read the Word of God from Ephesians 3:14–19 “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that He would give 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 firmly 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.”

Let us pray:

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(Tagalugin mo) We are currently in our series on Ephesians, which I’ve titled The Gospel-Centered Church. But what does a Gospel-centered church look like? When I say Gospel-centered church, I am referring to a church that follows Jesus by making His person and work central in everything. To be Gospel-centered means not only believing the Gospel for salvation but continually returning to it for transformation. The Gospel is not just for unbelievers who need salvation through Christ; it is also for believers who need to be changed and transformed into the image and likeness of Christ.

(Tagalugin mo) The title of this message: Empowered by Love through Prayer, A Gospel-centered church is marked by prayer. In His humanity, Christ demonstrated a life defined by prayer—a life wholly dependent on God. As His people, if we are to follow Him and become more like Him, we must do the same.

A Gospel-centered church relies fully on God for true transformation, as we are empowered by God to know the love of God so that we may be filled will all the fullness of God through a life of prayer.

(Tagalugin mo) Prayer is vital in the life of a local Church, Leonard Ravenhill: “The true church lives and moves and has its being in prayer. Just as the body without the spirit is dead, so the church without prayer is dead.” J.C. Ryle: “Prayer is the lifeblood of the church. Without it, the church is lifeless and powerless, but with it, it is a mighty force.”

(Tagalugin mo) Paul deeply understood the important role of prayer in the life of the Church. He firmly believed in the transformative power of prayer and saw it as one of the primary means by which God changes His people. As we examine the passage, we see Paul praying to the Father. This is the second prayer recorded in this letter.

In chapter 1, Paul prayed that the Father would grant the Church wisdom and revelation—an enlightenment through the Holy Spirit. In chapter 3, he prayed for the Father to strengthen the Church through the Holy Spirit—an empowerment. In the first prayer, Paul asked that God would open the eyes of their hearts. In the second prayer, he asked that Christ would at home in their hearts. In the first, Paul prayed that the believers would know God’s surpassing power. In the second, he prayed that they would know God’s surpassing love.

(Tagalugin mo) It’s not enough to see the wealth of blessings we have in Christ; we must use these resources effectively in the power of the Spirit of God. (Warrior not using his armor/ have Millions in bank account ) Just as the churches in Ephesus needed prayer for enlightenment and empowerment to walk worthy of the Lord (Ephesians 4–6), we too need this divine work in our lives.

From Paul’s prayer for the church in Ephesus, we can learn two key lessons: first, the posture of his heart—his deep humility before God. And second is his humbling yet bold and confident request to God.

Paul’s Humility before the God (14-15)

The Reason (v14a) - For this reason

What is the reason? (Not based on your opinion/emotion or experience)- For this reason, referring to the earlier verses, Paul is supposed to pray in verse 1 of Chapter 3, but he interrupted himself so that he can explain and to show the churches in Ephesus the 3 M’s of the Gospel, the Mystery of the Gospel, the Minister of the Gospel and the Manifold wisdom of the Gospel which is part of “this reason”, but the scope of this reason goes back to verse 11 of Chapter 2, to which Paul remind His gentile audiences of their previous life. That they are foreigners and sojourners and they are not part of God’s covenant community, they don’t have the promises of the Scripture of the Old Testament, they don’t have Christ, they are without hope, they are godless. (Tagalugin mo) But also, Paul remind them of who they are now and how God’s power unto Salvation which is the Gospel changes everything! Here, we see the goodness and the gracious of God towards people who are unworthy, underserving. Once they were far but they’ve been brought near, once they are at war with God, with and with one another, but now they have peace in Christ, the wall that separate them has been broken down, they have been reconciled to God vertically and the effect of that is that they have been reconciled to one another horizontally. All of this is God’s plan to create a new humanity in Christ, there’s no more believing Jews, there’s no more believing Gentiles, if they are in Christ, they are now one new man, they are now identified as Christian. The gentiles that used to be an outcast is now a citizen in the Kingdom of God. Once they were God’s enemies, but now they are part of God’s household, they have been adopted into the family of God, they are now fellow heir, fellow member of the body (which is the Church), and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, and the Church is being built into a Holy Temple of God. (How did Paul responded to this Great mystery of the Gospel)

The response : Paul says, “I bow my knees.”(14b) This posture reflects humility, submission, and recognition that we are in the presence of someone far greater. For first-century Christians, kneeling in prayer was an act of deep adoration, reverence, and urgency. But let me take note, the posture of body is not what’s important here, the posture of the heart is what matters, we can be kneeling all day long, but if our heart is not right before God, all the things we do before Him is nothing. For Paul, as we read in its context, the posture of his heart was manifested in the posture of his body.

Application: Theology (the great mystery of the Gospel) leads to Humility (not pride, not boastful, not arrogance/rudeness, not impatience, not imposing you are better than others)(nor does it lead to laziness or being complacent) But to whom he is praying?

The Fatherhood of God (v15) - before the Father,

To whom? before the Father, this Father is the Father who gives us peace, we see that in Chapter 1 verse 2, and in verse 3, this is the Blessed Father who is the fountainhead, the source of all the Spiritual blessings. (Tagalugin mo) This is the Father who has chosen us, adopted us, the one who gives us wisdom, insight, revealing to us the mystery of His will, this is the Father who predestined all things, created all things, accomplished all things to the praise and the glory of His name. This is the Almighty Father who raised Jesus Christ from the dead and seated Christ in the Highest heaven far above all rule, power, dominion, far above every name that is name! But this is also the Father who raised us up from death to life and seated us with Christ in the heavenly places, do you know that?! ((Tagalugin mo)) If we truly know and experience this reality, it will transforms the way we pray. We approach this Sovereign Father with boldness and confidence, yet with a humility deeper than ever before. Why? Because it is by grace alone, not by anything we have done, that this Father has saved us—saved us from His wrath and brought us into His love. So, when we bow before the Father, we are bowing before the One who rules over all, who sustains all, and who accomplishes His perfect plan for His glory and our good.

Intimacy - (Tagalugin mo) Though our human fathers may failed us, disappoint us or indifferent with us, but take comfort that we come to a tender, loving, concerned, compassionate, accepting Father. A loving human father always accepts yung pag lapit ng anak nila, even when they have been disobedient or ungrateful. How much more does our heavenly Father accept His children, regardless of what they have done or not done? Paul approaches the Father with boldness and confidence, knowing that He is more willing for His children to come to Him than they ever are of going to Him. He knows that God has been waiting all the while with a Father’s heart of love and anticipation.

Gospel: the cost of prayer: Matthew 27:46 “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”” (Preach in tagalog)

Authority- This is the Father from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. What does this mean? It means that God the Father is the source and origin of all creation. In ancient times, naming something signified bringing it into existence, giving it purpose, and exercising authority over it. (Tagalugin mo) Paul emphasizes in Acts 17 that this Father is the Creator of all, giving life and breath to everything. From one man, He made every nation, and it is in Him that we live, move, and have our being. However, note this carefully: while God is the Creator of all, He is not the Father of all in a saving sense. Every family or “fatherhood” traces its origin to Him, the ultimate source. Even Adam is called “the son of God” because he was created by God. But creation is not the same as redemption. Do not be misled by the idea of universal fatherhood. Scripture is clear: to be a child of God and for Him to be your Father, you must be born again. Jesus plainly told the Pharisees, “If God were your Father, you would love Me” (John 8:42). God is a Father to His people only through the work of Christ. It is not your natural birth, religion, or efforts that make you His child. Only by repenting of your sins and placing your faith in Jesus Christ can you truly call God your Father in a saving and relational way.

Transition: (Tagalugin mo) Gospel: the cost of prayer: Because of the Gospel, together with Paul, we can now truly pray and bring our request before the throne of God the Father. There’s 2 prayer request he asked the Father that He would provide for his churches. Paul’s humility is all over the passage, from his humble posture to his humbling request, it is noteworthy to imitate such a man like this whenever we approach God in prayer. Also, Paul’s prayer is very practical, if you are thinking how you can pray for your brothers and sisters in Christ, we can pray like this.

It is in verse 16-19 that we know Paul’s Humbling yet bold and confident Request to God, Have you ever thought about how God’s power and our prayers fit together? God is sovereign—He’s in complete control and doesn’t need us to accomplish His plans. Yet, He invites us to pray. Why? (Tagalugin mo) Because while God is self-sufficient, we are completely dependent on Him. Without His power, we can’t do anything that truly matters. In the passage we’re studying, Paul prays for strength—a strength that only God can give through His Spirit. Why do you think Paul prayed for this? It’s because living the way God calls us to requires more than our own abilities/resolution. True transformation comes only from God. Have you asked God to give you the strength to follow Christ fully? Prayer also shifts our focus. Are your prayers centered on earthly needs or heavenly priorities? Prayer moves our hearts from ourselves to God, from temporary things to eternal things. It helps us care about the salvation of the unsaved and the spiritual growth of fellow believers. How often do you pray for the needs of others? Lastly, when life feels overwhelming—when we’re mentally, emotionally, or spiritually drained—what’s your first response? Is it prayer, or do you try everything else first? (Tagalugin mo) Let this passage remind us that prayer isn’t a last resort; it’s our first and best response, because only God can truly give us what we need.

A Prayer for Strength (16-17a) - that He would give 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; (Tagalugin mo) Where does true strength to change come from? Paul knew it must come from the Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Can we live the Christian life on our own strength? No. Holiness, perseverance in faith, and obedience to Christ’s commands are impossible without God’s power. (Tagalugin mo) Because the Christian life is a supernatural life, upheld by a supernatural God.

The Riches of The Father - according to the riches of His glory, What are the “riches” Paul is talking about in his prayer? He’s not asking God to give believers something new, but to help them live in the strength of what they already have in Christ. Do you realize the spiritual wealth you already possess as a follower of Jesus?

Illustration: For a millionaire to give fifty or a hundred pesos would be simply to give out of his wealth, but to give twenty-five thousand pesos would be to give according to his wealth. The greater a person’s wealth, the greater his gift must be to qualify for giving according to his wealth. For God to give according to the riches of His glory is absolutely staggering, because His riches are limitless, completely without bounds! Yet that is exactly the measure by which Paul implores God to empower the Ephesians.

Application: That’s why the Lord Jesus Christ, in the sermon on the mount, he calls the believer to keep on asking, seeking and knowing, in short, to keep on praying, to be persistent, don’t give up, Our Father in Heaven is rich, and He will provide for us what we need. Matthew 7:9–11 ““Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? “Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!”

The Role of the Spirit - to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, What is the “inner man”? It’s the core of who we are—our mind, heart, and soul. It’s where our thoughts, feelings, and decisions are shaped. Are you aware of how much your inner life affects your worship and devotion to Christ? To truly serve Him with all we are, we need the Holy Spirit to strengthen us. Can you do this on your own? Paul reminds us we cannot. Do you feel the ongoing struggle with sin? Paul describes this battle in Romans 7:22–25 but gives hope in Romans 8:2—the Holy Spirit has set us free from sin’s power. What sins are you struggling with? Pride, greed, lust, anger, or something else? The Spirit empowers us to hate the sins we once loved, to confess and repent, and to pursue righteousness. Do you ask the Spirit to help you overcome sin daily? Without the Spirit, we remain enslaved to sin. But through the Gospel, God gives us a new heart and His Spirit, enabling us to enjoy Him fully and fight the sins that hold us back. Do you believe the Holy Spirit is stronger than your sin? As Zechariah 4:6 says, “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit.” God begins His work in the inner man at salvation and continues to transform us from within. Are you Spirit-conscious, Spirit-filled, and Spirit-controlled? True growth and victory over sin come only when we fully depend on Him.

Application: How do you strengthen your “inner man”? Just like physical strength requires nourishment and exercise, spiritual strength grows when we feed on God’s Word and follow the Spirit’s guidance. Are you regularly immersing yourself in Scripture and prayer?

Spiritual power isn’t for a special group—it’s for every believer who submits to God’s Word and Spirit. Do you trust that God’s power is available to you? Growth takes time, but every prayer, every moment in the Word, and every act of obedience builds your strength.

When you feel drained or unmotivated in your faith, where do you turn? Isaiah 40:29–31 reminds us that God renews the strength of those who trust in Him. Will you rely on Him today, asking for His Spirit to refresh and empower you? God wants to strengthen you through His Spirit (Ephesians 3:16). On your own, you are weak—but with Him, you have all you need. Will you claim His power and walk in His strength?

The Residency of the Son - so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; Why do we do what we do? Where does real change come from? The Bible says it starts in the heart—our thoughts, emotions, desires, and will. Jesus taught that sin begins in the heart (Matt. 5:27–28). If our hearts are wrong, our actions will follow. New Year’s resolutions often fail because they focus on behavior, not the heart. True change isn’t about just doing things differently; it’s about a new heart that desires to follow Christ. Are your resolutions just about changing habits, or are you asking God to change your heart? We can’t change our hearts on our own. Only Jesus can give us a heart that wants to obey Him (spiritual discipline — Bible Study). Are you relying on Christ for real transformation, or are you trying to fix yourself? Paul prayed for Christ to live in our hearts—not as a guest, but as a permanent resident.

The word dwell in Ephesians 3:17 comes from the Greek word κατοικέω (katoikeō), which has rich meaning and theological significance. Here’s a breakdown of the term in the context of Ephesians 3:17: Greek Word: κατοικέω (katoikeō)

Root Words: • kata: A preposition meaning “down,” which intensifies the verb. • oikeō: Derived from oikos (“house” or “home”), meaning “to inhabit” or “to dwell.” • Literal Meaning: To settle down, reside, or take up permanent residence. • Theological Implications: • Paul uses katoikeō to express Christ taking up residence in the believer’s heart. This is not a temporary or surface-level dwelling but a deep, permanent indwelling. • It signifies an intimate relationship where Christ becomes the central, governing influence in a believer’s life.

This means giving Christ full access to every part of our lives (lovelife, financial life, career life, school life, family life, social life) Does Jesus feel at home in your heart, or are there areas you’re still holding back from Him? What we need is not just a New Year’s resolution—it’s a new heart, changed by God’s grace and surrendered to Him. Will you pray to Christ to reveal what’s truly in your heart and ask Him to replace it with the things He wants so that he can be at home in our hearts? Psalm 139:23–24 “O Diyos, tingnan mo at alamin ang nasa puso ko, i-test mo ako, tingnan mo yung mga iniisip ko. Tingnan mo kung may ginagawa akong masama, at i-guide mo ako sa daan ng buhay na walang hanggan.”

Illustration: When the Lord came with two angels to visit them, Abraham and Sarah immediately made preparations to entertain their guests in the best possible way. From the rest of the passage (Gen. 18) it is evident that Abraham and Sarah knew they were hosting the Lord Himself. It is also evident that the Lord felt at home with Abraham and Sarah. It seems significant that when, a short while later, the Lord warned Lot to take his family and flee for their lives, He did not go Himself but only sent the two angels (19:1). Lot was a believer, but the Lord did not feel at home in Lot’s house as He did in Abraham’s tent. When you search your heart, can you honestly say that the Lord is at home, He is comfortable in your heart?

Ephesians: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Christ’s Indwelling

In his booklet My Heart Christ’s Home, Robert Munger pictures the Christian life as a house, through which Jesus goes from room to room. In the library, which is the mind, Jesus finds trash and all sorts of worthless things, which He proceeds to throw out and replace with His Word. In the dining room of appetite He finds many sinful desires listed on a worldly menu. In the place of such things as prestige, materialism, and lust He puts humility, meekness, love, and all the other virtues for which believers are to hunger and thirst. He goes through the living room of fellowship, where He finds many worldly companions and activities, through the workshop, where only toys are being made, into the closet, where hidden sins are kept, and so on through the entire house. Only when He had cleaned every room, closet, and corner of sin and foolishness could He settle down and be at home.

Christ dwelling in our hearts not just as a guess, but the owner of our hearts. Jesus dwell in our hearts when He saved us, but He can only truly be at home when we let Him rule over every part of our lives. Jesus promises, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him” (John 14:23). Does Christ and the Father is indeed dwelling in your heart? If the people will just know your heart, will they see Christ and the Father being at home?

End — Pray

Transition: When Christ settles down in our lives He begins to display His own love in us and through us. When He freely indwells our hearts, we become rooted and grounded in love, that is, settled on a strong foundation of love.

A Prayer for Love (17b-19) - that you, being firmly 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, Paul’s second prayer is that we become the people God wants us to be—a church filled with love. God is love, and He shows His love to us even when we don’t deserve it. Have you ever paused to think about how deeply He loves you? Through His love and the power of the Holy Spirit, God transforms us so we can love like He does. The more we understand Christ’s love, the more it changes us. Do you let His love shape how you treat others? When Christ has His proper place in our hearts, we don’t have to be told to love—just as we don’t have to be told to breathe. Is love as natural to you as breathing? While it’s unnatural for Christians to be unloving, we can still disobey in this area. The absence of love is the presence of sin. Could it be that what’s happening inside you is keeping love from flowing out? Sin and love cannot coexist, just as sin and God are enemies. Where sin is, love is not. The loveless life is ungodly, but the godly life is marked by Christ’s love—a life of serving, caring, tenderness, self-giving, and self-sacrifice. Is this the kind of love people see in your life? Loving is the supernatural attitude of the Christian, because love is the nature of Christ. So here’s Paul helpful prayer so that we can know and we become the people characterized by love.

Steadfast of Love - that you, being firmly rooted and grounded in love, Paul uses two images—roots and foundations—to show how love should secure and grow a believer’s life in Christ. Imagine a great tree with deep, strong roots that anchor it against wind and rain, allowing it to grow tall and steady. Do the roots of love anchor your life firmly in Christ? (When trial comes, do you remain steadfast in the love of God or do you doubt His love for you?) Similarly, a building’s strength depends on its foundation. If it is solid, the building will stand strong (Matthew 7:24–27). By describing love as both the root system of a tree and the foundation of a building, Paul is praying that love will give believers the strength and stability they need to grow in Christ. Whether we feel loved or not doesn’t change the fact that we are loved by God. Biblical love, or agapē, is not about feelings or emotions, though these often come with it. True love is a choice, an act of the will. God’s love for the world was not just a feeling; it moved Him to send His Son to redeem us (John 3:16).

The Community of Love - may be able to comprehend with all the saints Paul prays that the Ephesians will “comprehend” Christ’s love, which means to grasp it through a process of learning and inquiry. This understanding is not something we achieve on our own. Have you ever thought about how much you need other believers to truly grasp Christ’s love? We are not isolated individuals; we are part of one family, fellow citizens with all who belong to Christ (Ephesians 2:19). Christ’s love is not just for you or me—it is for all who are His. We come to understand the depth of Christ’s love by seeing it reflected in the lives of other believers. Do you let others teach and encourage you in love? We need the grace-gifts that Christ has given to others to help us experience His love more fully. This isn’t limited to our local church or even the church today. It takes all of the saints—past, present, and future—to express the fullness of Christ’s love. Can you imagine how vast His love must be if it takes every believer in every age to reflect it?

The vastness of Love - what is the breadth and length and height and depth Paul describes the love of Christ as having breadth, length, height, and depth—not to categorize it, but to show its vastness and completeness. Have you ever considered just how limitless God’s love is? Its breadth is seen in how God brings together both Jew and Gentile in Christ, accepting all who believe (Ephesians 2:11–18). Its length is shown in God choosing us before the foundation of the world (1:4–5) and offering us a salvation that lasts for eternity. God’s love reaches incredible heights as He blesses us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (1:3) and raises us up to sit with Christ in the heavenly realms (2:6). Its depth is seen in how God reaches down to redeem even those who are dead in sin, pulling us out of the lowest places of depravity (2:1–3). Do you realize that God’s love can reach anyone, no matter how far they’ve fallen? His love stretches from eternity past to eternity future, bringing us into His very presence and giving us a place with Him on His throne. How does knowing the vastness of His love shape the way you live and love others?

The greatness of Love - and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, It’s not enough to simply believe that Christ is loving and stop there. Christ’s love cannot be fully understood until it is experienced. John 1:10 “He was in the world, and the world awas made through Him, and the world did not know Him.” John 6:69 ““And we have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.”” John 17:3 ““And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”

Have you allowed yourself to truly know, to experience Christ love? While we can know Christ’s love truly, we can never fully grasp its infinite depth. However, the love Paul speaks of here is not about emotions or warm feelings. It is something deeper—something the world cannot comprehend because it doesn’t understand Christ. Worldly love is based on attraction and lasts only as long as the attraction does. Christ’s love, however, is based on His unchanging nature and lasts forever. Have you noticed how worldly love often fades when it’s offended or rejected? Christ’s love, by contrast, endures despite every offense and rejection. Worldly love seeks to gain something for itself, while Christ’s love gives freely, expecting nothing in return. What the world finds impossible to understand should be the normal way of living for God’s children. Have you thought about how God’s love for you is shown through His actions? Love is selfless giving. It denies self and seeks the good of others. Jesus didn’t say, “Greater love has no one than to feel affection for his friends.” Instead, He said, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).

Gospel: where do we seem this love of Christ shown to us? On The Cross, for believers, keep running back on the cross if you want to grow and transform by God’s love (Romans 8:35–39 “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will affliction, or turmoil, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, “For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were counted as sheep for the slaughter.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”) , for the unbelievers, go to the Cross if you wanted to know love.

Application: We need to remember that we are deeply loved by God (Ephesians 3:17). When we come to Him in prayer, do we approach Him with the confidence of a beloved child coming to a loving Father? His love for us is perfect, and this assurance allows us to pray with trust, even when our prayers seem unanswered. Can you rest in knowing that God’s plan is always for His glory and your ultimate good (Romans 8:28)? When we pray, we can honestly say, “Lord, You love me. You see the worst in me—the thoughts I try to hide, the depths of my sin—and You still love me. You know my needs better than I do, and You love me.” Even when life feels unclear and our faith wavers, we must hold on to His all-encompassing love (Ephesians 3:18–19). Do you remind yourself daily of His unchanging love, no matter what you face?

The Goal of Love - that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God Paul’s ultimate goal in prayer is for believers to be “filled with the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19). This idea of fullness runs throughout Ephesians and Colossians, showing the work of the Father, Son, and Spirit in shaping us/transforming us. In Christ, all of God’s fullness dwells (Colossians 1:19; 2:9–10), and as believers grow in their knowledge of Christ and His love, they are filled more and more with God’s fullness (Ephesians 4:13). To be filled with the fullness of God means to overflow with His strength, love, and knowledge to the greatest extent of our human capacities. It is not about becoming God or “little gods,” but about being transformed into greater humans, conformed to the image of Christ as the Spirit fills us. Does your life reflect this transformation, with more of God and less of self? This fullness leaves no room for self-centeredness or the “old self.” Being filled with God means being emptied of self, not in part, but completely. Paul emphasizes this throughout Ephesians, describing the fullness of God (3:19), the fullness of Christ (4:13), and the fullness of the Spirit (5:18). Is your life being increasingly dominated by God, with nothing left of the old self?

A Gospel-centered church relies fully on God for true transformation, as we are empowered by God to know the love of God so that we may be filled will all the fullness of God through a life of prayer.

Challenge: What the church needs today is not more programs, new organizations, or novel methods. What it truly needs are people whom the Holy Spirit can use—people of prayer, people mighty in prayer. Will you answer the call to be a man or woman of prayer, not just this year, but for the rest of your life? Will we, as a church, commit to being a praying church, a Gospel-centered church? What would change in our lives and community if we truly became a people devoted to prayer and centered on Christ?

Pray!