Prayers of Paul reading plan: Day 5

       As a church family at Bethel Baptist church in Brookings, SD we are spending the next two weeks reading through most of the prayers of Paul.  Each day I will share my thoughts and reflections on here the day after the reading.  The encouragement was that we would read the assigned passages, write down some observations about what we read, and use those prayers to help us in our prayers that day.  Friday's readings were Ephesians 3:14-21, Ephesians 6:19-20, Philippians 1:3-6.  

Ephesians 3:14-21

"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith- that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have the strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.  Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever.  Amen."  

       Again, we have another loaded prayer for Paul that you would do well to spend more than a passing minute or two studying and what I am going to write here will only be scratching the surface.  Here are a few key observations about this prayer of Paul that is a prayer of praise, followed by a prayer for others, and than returning to a prayer of praise.  Paul begins by praising God as the one from whom every family in named- in other words the one from whom everyone comes from.  After the praise Paul prays for a few specific things.  

        He prays that the believers might be strengthened through the Spirit in their inner being.  Inner being here likely refers to one's heart and mind.  The places where ones desires,  motivations, emotions, and thinking come from and as a result of that strengthening that Christ might dwell in our hearts through faith.  

       The way this prayer is structured is in such a way that each prayer builds on the previous prayer.  So Paul has prayed that the believers would be strengthened in their inner being, through Jesus Christ dwelling in them through faith for a purpose.  The purpose or result would be so that they would be rooted and grounded in love and being rooted and grounded in love that they might together with all the saints strive to know the love of Christ which is beyond comprehension.  The way these prayers are structured make it clear that one cannot grow in knowing the love of Christ until Christ dwells within them, but once Christ dwells in them they can, and we should pray, that they would grow in their knowledge of the love of Christ.  

       Why, does Paul pray that they would know the love of Christ more?  So that they may be filled with all the fullness of God!  So the pattern of this prayer is as follows.  

           1.) Would be strengthened in their inner-being through the power of the holy Spirit.  

           2.)  That Jesus would dwell in their hearts through faith.  

           3.) That they might know the love of Jesus Christ more.  

           4.)  That the fullness of God might dwell in them.  

       In some ways Paul here is praying for people to experience and grasp their salvation.  Salvation begins with a work of the spirit drawing us to Himself and as we respond in faith Jesus Christ comes and dwells within us by which we will come to know the love of Christ more and the fullness of God will dwell in us.  This is a great prayer to pray for those who have not yet trusted in Christ, that they would so they could experience the love of Christ, and for those who have trusted in Jesus- that they might know more of the love of Jesus Christ.  

       Paul ends this prayer by affirming the God who is able to do abundantly more than we can ask or imagine!  How incredible is that truth!  He ends by affirming that all of God's work in our salvation, in Christ dwelling in us, in our knowledge of God's love, in the fullness of God in us, in the abundant work of God in our lives, all of it should result in us giving praise, glory, and honor to God.  

Ephesians 6:19-20

"and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak."  

     Paul asks the believers in Ephesus to pray for him.  He specifically asks that they would pray that he would be given the words to boldly proclaim the mystery of the gospel.  This is an appropriate prayer to pray for all believers (including yourself).  We are image bearers of God and we have all been commanded to make disciples,  and to proclaim the truth of the Gospel.  So spend some time praying for people in your life that they would have the words to say and the boldness to proclaim the gospel.  Also, prayer this prayer for pastors, evangelists, and ministry leaders that you know.  

Philippians 1:3-6

"I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.  And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in your will it to completed at the day of Jesus Christ."  

      Paul here is thanking God for the partnership in the ministry that the believers in Philippi have had with him.  Who are those who are partnered with you in this life?  Thank God for them today!