This last Sunday, I was given the opportunity to preach at Bristol Missionary Baptist Church. For the last several weeks I have been praying and meditating on Ephesians 3:14-21. I have gleaned a tremendous amount of insight form Paul's prayer to the Ephesian church. It was hard for me to narrow down all that I wanted to say. The congregation would probably agree. However, there were a few things that I thought stood out as very practical and satisfying precepts in prayer. I will post two separate blogs highlighting the gist of what was said. I hope it helps you to pray with passion and effectiveness.
Paul's Prayer God Centered and Trinitarian
If you look closely at the text, you will notice two interesting things about Paul's prayer. First, it is Trinitarian. In verse 14 Paul prays to the Father. In verse 16, he asks that they be strengthened with the power of the Holy Spirit. Moreover, in verse 17, he ask that Christ would dwell in their hearts through faith. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all called on here to do a work. The second thing to notice is that the prayer is God centered. Aside from Paul applying the the Trinity to work in the lives of the Ephesian believers, we also see that the climax of Paul's prayer is that the church in Ephesus would be filled withe fullness of God. He prays for them to be strengthened by His Spirit and according to His riches in glory. Paul prays God would ground them in His love by His knowledge. Paul's prayers for the church are God-centered prayers. He forces me to consider how I am praying for the church. Are my prayers God centered or man-centered?
Christ Centered Praying
In all of that, I am essentially praying that Christ would be at the very core of my praying. Praying God’s word keeps me in line in doing that. Because Christ is the word (pre-incarnate and incarnate), the gospel, the good news, and the radiance of Gods glory; keeping his words and deeds at the center of my communication with God forces the conversation to be God centered. This, in the end, is glorifying to Him and satisfying to me. Why would this be satisfying to me? Because praying God’s word also allows me to articulate the very cries of my heart. Many times, I approach God desiring to pray and have no idea where to begin or how to convey the needs that come with life. God’s word, in its entirety, not only has the power to work in and through prayer, but also the eloquence to express the inner longings of the human soul. His word also helps me to express my desires for Him. Therefore, keeping Christ at the center is God glorifying and soul satisfying because He receives all the glory for meeting my physical and spiritual needs through Christ.
Below are the requisite attitudes that Paul displays in his praying as seen in verse 14 & 15. I believe these attitudes help the Christian to approach God in a manner that is worthy of such a privilege. It also helps the heart to hear the affectionate yearning that Christ has for His church.
Three Requisites
Submission
The first requisite is submission. Paul says in verse 14, “I bow my knees…”. Kneeling represents an attitude of humility and compliance; a deflating of ego if you will. God does not mind his children standing and praying. However, though the legs may be extended, the soul must always be prostrate before God. A. Skevington Wood says that kneeling symbolizes submissiveness, solemnity, and adoration. Paul bows before his king in reverence and passion. He willingly kneels down with his hands extended before God as a servant and friend; not bound in shackles behind his back as an enemy (Philippians 2:9-11). With a willing heart, his attitude of submission resembles that of our Lord Jesus Christ.
King Jesus modeled this well for us when he states in the Lord’s Prayer with “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10) He also prayed in Luke 22:42, in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but your will be done.” Before we pray, we must submit. We serve the lord with fear and rejoice with trembling and kiss the Son of God (Psalm 2:11-12). In doing so we acknowledge His lordship and right to rule; not only in the world, but in our little universe as well. A vital component to our praying is submission.
Recognition
The second requisite is recognition. Paul is not just praying to anybody. He is praying to the Father, from whom every family in heaven and earth is named. Paul is praying to the Alpha and
Paul's Prayer God Centered and Trinitarian
If you look closely at the text, you will notice two interesting things about Paul's prayer. First, it is Trinitarian. In verse 14 Paul prays to the Father. In verse 16, he asks that they be strengthened with the power of the Holy Spirit. Moreover, in verse 17, he ask that Christ would dwell in their hearts through faith. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all called on here to do a work. The second thing to notice is that the prayer is God centered. Aside from Paul applying the the Trinity to work in the lives of the Ephesian believers, we also see that the climax of Paul's prayer is that the church in Ephesus would be filled withe fullness of God. He prays for them to be strengthened by His Spirit and according to His riches in glory. Paul prays God would ground them in His love by His knowledge. Paul's prayers for the church are God-centered prayers. He forces me to consider how I am praying for the church. Are my prayers God centered or man-centered?
Christ Centered Praying
In all of that, I am essentially praying that Christ would be at the very core of my praying. Praying God’s word keeps me in line in doing that. Because Christ is the word (pre-incarnate and incarnate), the gospel, the good news, and the radiance of Gods glory; keeping his words and deeds at the center of my communication with God forces the conversation to be God centered. This, in the end, is glorifying to Him and satisfying to me. Why would this be satisfying to me? Because praying God’s word also allows me to articulate the very cries of my heart. Many times, I approach God desiring to pray and have no idea where to begin or how to convey the needs that come with life. God’s word, in its entirety, not only has the power to work in and through prayer, but also the eloquence to express the inner longings of the human soul. His word also helps me to express my desires for Him. Therefore, keeping Christ at the center is God glorifying and soul satisfying because He receives all the glory for meeting my physical and spiritual needs through Christ.
Below are the requisite attitudes that Paul displays in his praying as seen in verse 14 & 15. I believe these attitudes help the Christian to approach God in a manner that is worthy of such a privilege. It also helps the heart to hear the affectionate yearning that Christ has for His church.
Three Requisites
Submission
The first requisite is submission. Paul says in verse 14, “I bow my knees…”. Kneeling represents an attitude of humility and compliance; a deflating of ego if you will. God does not mind his children standing and praying. However, though the legs may be extended, the soul must always be prostrate before God. A. Skevington Wood says that kneeling symbolizes submissiveness, solemnity, and adoration. Paul bows before his king in reverence and passion. He willingly kneels down with his hands extended before God as a servant and friend; not bound in shackles behind his back as an enemy (Philippians 2:9-11). With a willing heart, his attitude of submission resembles that of our Lord Jesus Christ.
King Jesus modeled this well for us when he states in the Lord’s Prayer with “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10) He also prayed in Luke 22:42, in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but your will be done.” Before we pray, we must submit. We serve the lord with fear and rejoice with trembling and kiss the Son of God (Psalm 2:11-12). In doing so we acknowledge His lordship and right to rule; not only in the world, but in our little universe as well. A vital component to our praying is submission.
Recognition
The second requisite is recognition. Paul is not just praying to anybody. He is praying to the Father, from whom every family in heaven and earth is named. Paul is praying to the Alpha and
Omega, the Beginning and the End, the great I AM, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Paul is pleading with the creator of the universe and all the fullness in it. He prays to the one who knows every star by name; who tells the sun to shine in the day and the moon to guide by night; who upholds the universe by the word of his power (Hebrews 1:3). Paul cries out to the one who brings the harvest, the cold and the heat, the summer and the winter, the day and the night, the rain and the sunshine (Gen 8:22). He converses with the One who knows our thoughts before we think them, our words before we say them, our comings, and goings, and all the days we will spend on this earth; which he wrote ahead of time in a book. Paul listens to the One who created us in the deepest and most secret place in our mother’s womb (Psalm 139) and knows every hair on our head. Paul recognizes the authenticity and authority of the Father. The Father is our creator and deserves our utmost respect and awe. He is our God in heaven, and He does all that He pleases (Psalm 115:3) Recognizing this constrains our ego and allows humility to lift our prayers to the ears of our Lord.
Validation
In verse sixteen, Paul gives the Ephesians a sense of validation when he prays “that according to the riches of his glory.” Paul understood the vastness of the resources and ability of our God. He was not praying in the restricted confines of our hearts, but according to the inexhaustible riches of an all-knowing and omnipotent God. William MacDonald says this about the text, “Preachers often point out that there is a difference between the expressions ‘out of the riches’ and ‘according to the riches’ of his perfections. A wealthy person may give a trifling amount out of his riches, not in proportion of them.” So in effect, if I have a million dollars and I give a person one hundred dollars, I have given out of my riches. If I give a person one hundred thousand dollars, I have given according to my riches. When we go to people and ask for our needs to be met, they can only provide out of their riches; which are borrowed and limited. When we come before God, his riches in glory are never fleeting.
He owns the entire world (Psalm 50:10-12; Psalm 24:1) Everything belongs to God. Every man, every woman, every child, every animal, every little fire ant that invades your porches and lawns, every annoying fly that gets in your face while you’re trying to talk, every ounce of wisdom you provide in counseling a friend, every act of grace you display to an enemy, your house and all your belongings, every American dollar (even the ones in your pocket right now) all belong to him. He needs nothing from us because he is self-sufficient. Acts 17:25, “He is not served with human hands as if He needs anything.” When Hebrews 4:16 says that we can approach the throne of grace with confidence it is because God has given himself to be our confidence. It is because the validity he brings in backing up every one of his promises one hundred percent of the time. MacDonald goes onto say, “Since the Lord is infinitely rich in glory, let the saints flood! Why should we ask so little of so great a king?” Paul assures the Ephesians that His prayers can be backed by the good faith and credit of God. The same giver; not the US government or its economy backs our prayers.
Before you come before our Lord in prayer, prostrate your heart in confession and submit your soul to the Lord. Recognize is inifnite power and authority over the universe and your life. Validate His ability and faithfulness by slaying unbelief with trust in his magnificent promises. Humility before God may be one of the lifting forces that bring our prayers into the ears of God.
Validation
In verse sixteen, Paul gives the Ephesians a sense of validation when he prays “that according to the riches of his glory.” Paul understood the vastness of the resources and ability of our God. He was not praying in the restricted confines of our hearts, but according to the inexhaustible riches of an all-knowing and omnipotent God. William MacDonald says this about the text, “Preachers often point out that there is a difference between the expressions ‘out of the riches’ and ‘according to the riches’ of his perfections. A wealthy person may give a trifling amount out of his riches, not in proportion of them.” So in effect, if I have a million dollars and I give a person one hundred dollars, I have given out of my riches. If I give a person one hundred thousand dollars, I have given according to my riches. When we go to people and ask for our needs to be met, they can only provide out of their riches; which are borrowed and limited. When we come before God, his riches in glory are never fleeting.
He owns the entire world (Psalm 50:10-12; Psalm 24:1) Everything belongs to God. Every man, every woman, every child, every animal, every little fire ant that invades your porches and lawns, every annoying fly that gets in your face while you’re trying to talk, every ounce of wisdom you provide in counseling a friend, every act of grace you display to an enemy, your house and all your belongings, every American dollar (even the ones in your pocket right now) all belong to him. He needs nothing from us because he is self-sufficient. Acts 17:25, “He is not served with human hands as if He needs anything.” When Hebrews 4:16 says that we can approach the throne of grace with confidence it is because God has given himself to be our confidence. It is because the validity he brings in backing up every one of his promises one hundred percent of the time. MacDonald goes onto say, “Since the Lord is infinitely rich in glory, let the saints flood! Why should we ask so little of so great a king?” Paul assures the Ephesians that His prayers can be backed by the good faith and credit of God. The same giver; not the US government or its economy backs our prayers.
Before you come before our Lord in prayer, prostrate your heart in confession and submit your soul to the Lord. Recognize is inifnite power and authority over the universe and your life. Validate His ability and faithfulness by slaying unbelief with trust in his magnificent promises. Humility before God may be one of the lifting forces that bring our prayers into the ears of God.
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