Prayers in the New Testament            June 17

 Paul’s Prayer in Eph. 3:14-19

Review: Last week we talked about the Apostle Paul’s last petition in his prayer for the Ephesians found in chapter one. We examined God’s power and how it relates to us as believers.  In our discussion we learned that God’s power is for us, and is unlimited and greater than any power we can know. Can you recall anything else about God’s power?  (Miraculous, flows in and through us, our faith finds its origin and sustenance in God’s power, we are shielded by God’s power and finally that power is in the person of Jesus Christ)

Introduction:  Today we will examine another prayer of Paul’s found in Eph. 3:14-19.  Let’s start by reading this passage.  You will notice that Paul begins with the phrase, “For this reason.” The reason he is referring to here is the fact that the Gentiles (all non Jewish people) who have become believers in Christ are now part of a new Spiritual Body (The Church) united with the Jews who have also become believers in Christ.  Paul speaks of this being the mystery of Christ.  Whereas in the past the Jews were God’s chosen people to bring God’s message of salvation to the world, now God has created a new Spiritual Body, made up of believers in Christ.  Because God has done this Paul prays this second prayer for the Ephesians. Let’s take a closer look at exactly what Paul is asking God for. 

Strength: What is Paul’s first request? (Strength) Paul connects four things with strength, four characteristics; can you pick them out? See vs. 16 (out of His glorious riches-Source, with power, through His Spirit-Agent, in your inner being-place of strengthening.)  In order to better understand the nature of this strength that Paul is praying for we need to look closely at these four truths. 

A) Source of Strength:  What is the source of this strength that Paul is praying for? See vs.16 (His glorious riches) Now we know that God’s glorious riches are beyond measure but the way this is translated here we may not get the full meaning.  The NIV uses the phrase, “out of,” which is better translated, “according to.” You may be saying what’s the big difference here, out of or according to.  But let’s say for a minute that a millionaire was going to give you some money.  If he gave you money “out of” his riches, he may give you only a small amount, say 200 dollars.  But, on the other hand if he gave you money “according to his riches,” this would be more in line with the standards he is used to; on the scale of his riches or according to the style of his riches.  The idea of immeasurable, bountiful, beyond what we can imagine is more the meaning we should understand here.  This idea is meant to build on the concept of our glorious inheritance that is ours in Christ.  So we are praying for that strengthening that comes from God’s riches, unfathomable, unquantifiable glorious riches that we are learning to comprehend but that we will never fully understand the depth of in this life. 

B)  Power:   Next Paul explains that this strength is “with power.” Last week we learned about the nature of this power; it is God’s power for His agenda and purposes, and that it is incomparable and great.  Two words used to help us understand that this power is unlike anything we know or can comprehend. It too is something off the scale that cannot be measured.    

C)  The Agent:  According to our passage who is the agent of this power?  (Holy Spirit) Eph.3:16 says, “…He may strengthen you with power through His Holy Spirit…” Have you ever asked yourself this question; why do I need the Holy Spirit in my life?  What if we could just ask God for His forgiveness, and be given a ticket to Heaven.  Would that be enough for us? Even though God has asked us to live holy (separate) lives, lives that reflect the character of Christ to others, can’t we do this on our own?  Do we really need that deeper connection with God that only comes from having God’s Spirit living in us? Can we accomplish the divine tasks that God has given us without His Holy Spirit in us? Can we live the Christian life as God intended us to in our own strength? Do you find it hard to live the Christian life; are you feeling defeated and weak as a Christian most of the time? That is a good thing; but, you may ask, why is that a good thing? 

In his series on Ephesians Charles Price from the Peoples Church in Toronto says, “Unless we (believers) understand that for every divine demand we need divine dynamic.  For every divine enterprise we need divine energy, and enabling.  For every divine strategy, we need divine strength; we are never going to live the Christian life as God intended us to.  We are only going to religionize Christianity, make it a religion, a set of rules that we do our best to implement and follow. Unless there is supernatural involvement in our lives we cannot live the Christian life. Does God’s Spirit live in you; and if He does, then where exactly does the Holy Spirit reside in us?

D)  In Your Inner Being: The remainder of Eph. 3:16 says, “… in your inner being.”The Holy Spirit comes to live in a person at the time of conversion.  Prior to His taking residence within us our nature inside and out are identical, we are dead to God and unable to respond to Him.  God draws us to Himself by the Holy Spirit who illuminates our understanding, convicting us of sin and rebellion toward God and eventually bringing us to a place of repentance (where we turn around and begin to respond to God).  Next we confess our sin and ask God to come and live within us and direct our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Once God’s Spirit comes to live in us, our inner being, which was dead to God, is regenerated.

  This truth is revealed to us in Eph. 2:1-5 which gives us a picture of who we were outside of Christ and who we have become in Christ.  Listen to some of what is said here, “As for you, you were dead…but because of His great love God made us alive with Christ…raised us up with Christ.”  The change that has occurred in us is also described in 2 Cor. 5:17 were we read, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation…”If we are in Christ our inner being is the abode of the Holy Spirit.  Paul goes on to encourage each of us by reminding us that, regardless of what is happening in our lives we are being renewed daily from within.

 2 Cor. 4:16 says, “Therefore we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away but inwardly we are being renewed day by day.”  What Paul is referring to here is the work of the Holy Spirit in our inner being.  This is the only way Paul could cope with the life he was living as he was writing and preaching the Gospel.  A life described in the book of Acts that included being whipped, stoned and left for dead; being persecuted, maligned and mistreated.  How did Paul get through this stuff, how did he cope?  While his outer man was suffering, his inner man was being renewed day by day, by God’s Spirit. Do you know this truth in your own life?  That though outwardly you may be suffering, for example; ill health, financial difficulties, family or marital problems, or business failures, inwardly, if you are in Christ, you are being renewed day by day, by His Spirit.

Are you praying daily that God would strengthen you with power, through His Spirit, in your inner being?  What is the goal in praying like this on a daily basis?

Conclusion: The answer to that question is found in verse 17 were we read, “… so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.”  In the Greek the word dwell conveys the idea, “settle down.”  Christ settles down in our hearts by faith; by faith we trust Him.  Christ changes our hearts, and consequently our words and thoughts; in short we are being renewed.  What happens to us as this process takes place is a deepening confidence in God to carry us through anything the world or the Devil can throw at us.  We begin to exhibit the peace of God even though we are going through the wringer of life.  We begin to live out of the growing confidence we have in Christ instead of living in fear of the future.  Our daily living is not characterized by anxiety and failing hope but a quiet trust in God, a quiet knowing that He has our best interests in mind.  This doesn’t mean that everything will be rosy and God will do everything we ask Him, but it does mean that despite what is going on around us we do not lose heart because we know that through His Spirit we are being renewed day by day and strengthened daily to stand, in faith, to rest in Christ.   

Let’s begin each day by asking God that out of His glorious riches, He would strengthen us with power in our inner being, so that Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith.