|
Eph 3:14-21 (ESV)
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.
Have you ever had one of those moments where the lights suddenly go on and you realize something that has always been present?
That’s a little how this passage can make us feel as we suddenly realize that the last three chapters have been a prayer. To be sure Paul has been giving great instruction, but this passage makes it clear that all along Paul has been praying for the Ephesian believers and praising the Lord.
In a nutshell, what Paul has been praying for is that the relationship between the Lord and the people would grow in love, and from that relationship of love, through the presence of Christ within their hearts, the power of the Lord flows through that person to comprehend the overwhelming ever-present love of God for us.
But don’t miss how passionate Paul is about this!
Go back and look at the descriptive language Paul is using here. If you have your own Bible with you, underline these words and phrases; strengthen with power, Christ dwelling in your hearts, rooted and grounded in love, strength to comprehend the breadth—length—height—depth.
And my favorite part, know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, filled with all the fulness of God.
Are you getting a sense of the depth of Paul’s passion that the believers for them to fully and intimately know Jesus?
Awesome stuff. But that awesomeness is only experienced as we relentlessly pursue our relationship with the Lord in prayer and worship. Apart from prayer and worship, we have little relationship. It’s through prayer and worship where the meat and the bone of our faith and daily lives connect in relationship with the Lord and our lives begin to move away from the old dead things and into the new and full life that we are promised by Jesus Himself (John 10:10).
And then, the soaring conclusion to this magnificent prayer in verses 20-21. You’ve probably heard me give this as a benediction after a worship service.
Think about what the Lord might do in and through you, then double that thought, and if you can, expand that vision to the farthest reaches of your imagination.
Now realize that as vast and as far as your imagination can take you…, it’s barely a dot on the letter “i” in all of written history because the Lord can do far more abundantly than all we can ask or imagine.
That is the power of the Lord which is at work in your life, all for His glory, and it’s all a present reality in our lives as we pray and worship in everything that we are doing.
Not a bad way to start off your day is it?
God bless you and know that I’m praying for you constantly.
Scott
|
