Thank you to Phillip for this message
Read Ephesians 3:14-21.
(A prayer for the Ephesians, and St. Christopher’s).
For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who can do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
This is the second prayer of Paul’s in the book of Ephesians, and he prays for the church to have strength, faith, love, and understanding. It seems that in both prayers, while writing to the church about the glories of being in Christ, Paul was caught up in praise to God. (Look again at verses 20-21).
As we follow Jesus each day and join in the life of the church, we need to keep in mind the fact that God is always at work, bringing about good things to glorify Himself that are beyond our own awareness and even our own ability to comprehend.
Reflect:
- Have there been any acts of God in your Christian life that you would consider as being exceeding and abundantly beyond your prayers and thoughts?
- Praise God for his involvement in every detail of our lives and the times we have seen him work in impossible situations.
Pray:
- For young Christians in this country and many other parts of the world that they may be ‘rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide, long, high, and deep is the love of Christ for them.
Praise:
- Give praise for all that Paul’s prayers can teach us about prayer.
- Give praise that our God is the God of the impossible.