“For this reason, I bow my knees
to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ”
– Ephesians 3:14 –
It is not wrong to ask for the needs of the body, but Paul pleads for the inner man. It is not worng to ask for personal needs, but Paul prioritizes praying for the church and mission.
The first thing he does is bend his knees; he postrates his body and soul. He directs his prayers to the Father, a personal and intimate way to refer to God. There is a relationship and belonging, and a sense of trust and dependence.
The apostle presents four requests in chapter 3, all linked to each other.
- He prays for power (v. 16). This power comes from the presence of the Holy Spirit, which the Lord sent to us after His departure as our Comforter.
- He prays for depth (vv. 17-19). The apostle uses three verbs in these texts: dwell, rooted, and grounded. “That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power… to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all fullness of God”
“Dwelling” is “settling down and feeling at home,” according to Kenneth Wuest. God did not feel at home in Lot’s home, but He felt at home in Abraham’s tent or walking with Enoch.
“Rooted” links us to agriculture. A good tree has deep roots in order to obtain food, stability and produce many fruits.
“Grounded” is a term of architecture. It refers to the base on which we build, which is as important as the building. Building on sand is not the same as building on the firm rock of Christ and His Word. Only being strongly and deeply founded in Christ could sustain them during the severe trials of life.
3. He prays for understanding (v. 18). By clinging to the vast and boundless expanse of God’s love, Paul wants us to know personally the love of Christ that exceeds all knowledge. There are many dimensions, but the cannot be measured.
4. He prays for fullness (v. 19). Many believers compare themselves to others to argue that they are not “so bad.” Many are content to get second place or tie with others. Why? We can be winners!
What we do now prepares us for eternity, when we will glorify Christ forever.
He is powerful to do all things;
all things abundantly;
all things more abundantly;
all things much more abundantly!
God bless you…