Ephesians 3:14-21
14: For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,
15: from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,
16: that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,
17: so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
18: may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19: and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.
20: Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,
21: to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.
Paul finished what he started to say in verse 1, for this reason—because both Jew and Gentile were now made into one body in Christ—he explained how any he prayed for them. He humbled himself before the Father—the One from whom every family in heaven and earth is named. There is no nation, no tribe, or no family who came into being apart from Him.
Paul’s prayer, first of all, was that they would be strengthened inwardly with power through the Spirit. This power was not for human strength that would come from within themselves, but strength that would be according to the riches of God’s glory—His mighty strength. The purpose of this inner strengthening was so Christ might dwell in their hearts by faith, so they might be rooted and grounded in love, and so they, along with all the saints, might know and comprehend the great love of Christ which is beyond human comprehension.
The spiritual strengthening which brings Christ into our hearts by faith, along with the comprehension of His great love, from which we become rooted and grounded in ourselves, this filling of all the fulness of God, was Paul’s prayer for them as one body of believers in Christ. This prayer, along with the one previously mentioned in Ephesians 1:15 is worth memorizing and praying for yourself and others.
Paul prayed for them to understand this love in its breadth—that it encompassed all people, its length—that it continues to all generations, its height—that it is far beyond the reach of anyone who would try to keep it from us, and its depth—the unfathomable wisdom of His love. Paul had all generations in mind in this prayer, showing that he expected it to be a bit before the Lord’s return to earth, and that he desired for the church to remain, and be strong, until His return.
He ended this prayer with glory to God and Christ Jesus. He said that God the Father was able to do far beyond what we can ask or even think, and that He does it according to the power that works within us—His Spirit who dwells within. The Spirit of God within the human heart who believes in Jesus Christ, is a powerful force in the earth, doing the work of God, as Jesus did, and establishing His kingdom.
15: from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,
16: that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,
17: so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
18: may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19: and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.
20: Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,
21: to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.
***
Paul finished what he started to say in verse 1, for this reason—because both Jew and Gentile were now made into one body in Christ—he explained how any he prayed for them. He humbled himself before the Father—the One from whom every family in heaven and earth is named. There is no nation, no tribe, or no family who came into being apart from Him.
Paul’s prayer, first of all, was that they would be strengthened inwardly with power through the Spirit. This power was not for human strength that would come from within themselves, but strength that would be according to the riches of God’s glory—His mighty strength. The purpose of this inner strengthening was so Christ might dwell in their hearts by faith, so they might be rooted and grounded in love, and so they, along with all the saints, might know and comprehend the great love of Christ which is beyond human comprehension.
The spiritual strengthening which brings Christ into our hearts by faith, along with the comprehension of His great love, from which we become rooted and grounded in ourselves, this filling of all the fulness of God, was Paul’s prayer for them as one body of believers in Christ. This prayer, along with the one previously mentioned in Ephesians 1:15 is worth memorizing and praying for yourself and others.
Paul prayed for them to understand this love in its breadth—that it encompassed all people, its length—that it continues to all generations, its height—that it is far beyond the reach of anyone who would try to keep it from us, and its depth—the unfathomable wisdom of His love. Paul had all generations in mind in this prayer, showing that he expected it to be a bit before the Lord’s return to earth, and that he desired for the church to remain, and be strong, until His return.
He ended this prayer with glory to God and Christ Jesus. He said that God the Father was able to do far beyond what we can ask or even think, and that He does it according to the power that works within us—His Spirit who dwells within. The Spirit of God within the human heart who believes in Jesus Christ, is a powerful force in the earth, doing the work of God, as Jesus did, and establishing His kingdom.
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