Ephesians 3 - Paul's Personal Prayer

In Ephesians 3, the Apostle Paul shares a personal prayer with the Ephesian believers that is quite beautiful. For context, this prayer is nestled in an explanation of how God mysteriously calls people into salvation. His point is that none of us fully comprehend how God saves or how God calls. This was especially true for the Gentiles. For centuries, God’s covenant of salvation was given to the Jews through Abraham. Yet, for the first time in history, God opened it up to non-Jewish people. This was certainly mysterious. So, once we get to verse 8 in that chapter, it gets personal. Paul contemplates the mysterious nature of his own calling and concludes that he is the product of the paradoxical nature in which God works. Then he turns this contemplation into a prayer in verse 14: “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named…” Once Paul gets past his introductory remarks, he makes 6 strong appeals to the Lord on behalf of the Ephesian believers. For the following, he asks: 1. That they be strengthened with might through the Spirit of God. 2. That Christ would dwell in their hearts through faith. 3. That they be rooted and grounded in faith. 4. That they may comprehend the width, length, depth, and height of the Christian life. 5. That they may know the love of Christ. 6. That they may be filled with all the fullness of God. He concludes by saying (and I’m paraphrasing), “Don’t let the content of your prayers be too small. God is able to do so much more than you could possibly imagine.”

Next week, we’re going to begin a sermon series of the content of this prayer. We’re going to look at the context of it, the content of it, and the conclusion of it. It is my goal, and I hope, that FBCUC will benefit as much from this blessed prayer of our brother Paul as the Ephesian church did. There is so much here that believers should know about their own salvation that is summarized in the contents of this prayer.

You know, so many believers desire a deeper understanding of their relationship with Christ. This passage of Scripture teaches us how to take things to a greater level of love and appreciation for all that the Lord did for us when He saved us. If you know someone who struggles with their faith, this would be a great sermon series for them. Invite them to join us as we worship the Lord through this wonderful prayer of Paul!

Blessings,
Bro. Ben