Paul's Prayer for Spiritual Strength

(#888, Imperial, 1960)

Read Ephesians 3:1,14-21.

In our text the Apostle is trying to pray but before he completes the sentence his mind is called back to the unique character of the stewardship which had been entrusted to him.

w    It was a stewardship of grace, v2.

w    He declared a mystery, something hidden in time past, v3.

w    He ministered to the Gentiles, vs.7-8.

w    God's eternal purpose was the bringing together of Jew and Gentile in ONE in Christ, v10.

w    The result was access to God as His family, v12.

In v14 Paul again takes up the prayer.  The prayer has 3 parts:

    1.  The motive, "for this cause".  His prayers naturally spring from the theme he discusses (see 2:19-22).

    2.  The posture, "bow my knees".  Postures do not make prayer but they stimulate the spirit.

    3.  The petitions, beginning in v16.

ƒ      The power of God's Spirit, vs. 16-18.

The lack of spiritual power is prevalent in today's Church.  Even evangelicals can be doctrinally immaculate but disastrously impotent.  Paul prays for power...

w    The extent: "according to the riches of His glory."  This is immeasurable.  Not "out of" but "according to" the riches.

w    The effect: "that Christ may dwell in your hearts."  Some hearts are like a hotel where rooms are parceled out on a temporary basis.  Others are like a home where Christ not only has the right of entry but also the right of mastery.

ƒ      The practice of God's love, v18.

The magnitude of Christ's love is seen in 2 things: it's bestowal on the undeserving, and it's bestowal in the sacrifice of Himself.

To know this love will draw our love out to Him and to those who are His.  The constraining motive of our lives must be His love (2 Cor. 5:14).  It must be the all-controlling power of our lives.

ƒ      The plenitude of God Himself, v19.

"Filled to all the fullness of God."  We need never be empty for God cannot be exhausted.  When we are filled with His fulness there is no room in our hearts for sin, fear, doubt, self.

The Christian is called not to be a victim but a victor.

The Church is not called to feebleness but to mastery.