Paul's Prayer

Prayer for Spiritual Strength

Strenghth-Love-Fullness

Ephesians 3:14–21 ESV

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

Resources

verses 14-16

Excited again, thinking of the vastness of God’s plan, the reality that God has revealed His Manifold wisdom, which was hidden in time past- All who come to Christ are (Heirs together, Sharers together, same body) .

Paul is excited again, and prays to God. A God of Wisdom and Might and Power. A God, who according to , has a depth of wisdom we can never fully know.

Romans 11:33 ESV

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

Bows his knees in prayer-

But in fact it is remarkable because it was not customary for Jews to kneel in prayer. The ordinary posture was standing,

Preaching the Word: Ephesians—The Mystery of the Body of Christ A Prayer for the Third Race ( Ephesians 3:14-21 )

Kneeling indicated an extraordinary event or an unusual passion. For example, when King Solomon prayed at the dedication of the Temple, he knelt on a wooden platform before all the people and lifted his hands to Heaven in prayer (2 Chronicles 6:13). In Gethsemane on the eve of his death Jesus fell to the ground in agonized emotion as he prayed to his father (Mark 14:35, 36). And when Paul made his tearful good-bye to the elders of Ephesus, he knelt with them and prayed (Acts 20:36–38).

Why did he bow-

First, because of the stunning impact upon himself of the immense revelation he has been delivering.

Second, the apostle is on his knees in profound emotion “before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name

Paul falls to his knees-

first, the sublime truths of God’s Word, and second, the soul-healing Fatherhood under which he rested

Preaching the Word: Ephesians—The Mystery of the Body of Christ A Prayer for Strength (vv. 16, 17a)

First, he prays for their strength: “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith” (vv. 16, 17a). The main idea is this: just as the ill or infirm need to be strengthened so they can take in all that life has to offer, so also God’s children need to be inwardly strengthened to receive all the blessings God desires for them.

Two Major Elements:

One is derived from God’s wealth. Notice that Paul says, “I pray that out of [literally, according to] his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power” (v. 16a).

But to come before the One from whom are all things and to whom are all things () makes for great optimism, especially when he is no mere John D. Rockefeller who sometimes gave from his riches, but is rather the One who gives according to his riches — “on the scale and in the style of the wealth of his glory.

From Vs. According

I don’t need and “from his riches” I need an “According to” His riches

God owns everything,

Psalm 24:1 ESV

The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein,

Psalm 24:1–3 ESV

The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place?

Philippians 4:19 ESV

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

The next element:

our strengthening is the agency of the Holy Spirit in our inner being: “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being.

The inner being, The Core

The Core- I hate working out, don’t like running, bikes, jump rope, row machine (anti-cardio). I hate doing ab work. I hate squats Leg work. . however most trainers will tell you the key to a strong Body is having a strong CORE.

why is the core so important- balance, holding things together, keeping things aligned.

Paul is saying but we think about the outward and what we need, attention must be made to the Core the spiritual person.

2 Corinthians 4:16 ESV

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.

we grow stronger even as our bodies get older, as we decline in our health we are renewed.

Examples of older saints and their spirituality. Season saints choir and their expression.

This prayer for inner strengthening was not a mere wish, but the petition of the Apostle Paul for the Church. It is my prayer for myself and my church too.

Rooted

Paul prayed for Love-

The opening expression, “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love …” (v. 17b), is a prayer for a lifestyle of love.

Preaching the Word: Ephesians—The Mystery of the Body of Christ A Prayer for Love (vv. 17b-19a)

“[R]ooted” is agricultural, and “established” (literally, founded) is architectural, but their significance is perfectly parallel. Like trees, our lives are to send down roots deep and wide into the soil of love. Like buildings, the edifices of our lives here on earth are to have deep, solid foundations of love. If we are properly rooted and properly constructed on a foundation of love, nothing will be able to shake us.

Love is Key in everything- This is the year of Love

Preaching the Word: Ephesians—The Mystery of the Body of Christ A Prayer for Love (vv. 17b-19a)

love is intrinsic to all the fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22. He said, “Love is the key. Joy is love singing. Peace is love resting. Long-suffering is love enduring. Kindness is love’s touch. Goodness is love’s character. Faithfulness is love’s habit. Gentleness is love’s self-forgetfulness. Self-control is love holding the reins.” There are no fruits of the Spirit without love! We must be rooted and founded in love with

We must have love be a healthy church and community-

The Four Magnitudes — width, length, height, and depth — are poetic expressions for the infinitude of God’s love.

Augustine and Ambrose have been. Nevertheless, these dimensions can be said to suggest:

1) A love which is wide enough to embrace the world. tells us, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

2) A love which is long enough to last forever (). As Spurgeon said, “It is so long that your old age cannot wear it out, so long your continual tribulation cannot exhaust it, your successive temptations shall not drain it dry; like eternity itself it knows no bounds.”

3) A love which is high enough to take sinners to Heaven (, ).

4) A love which is deep enough to take Christ to the very depths to reach the lowest sinner ().

Replenish

Now unto Him who is ABLE to far more abundantly than all we can ask or think.