An Overview of Ephesians
By Joe Guagliardo
Ephesians 3:14-21
“Prayer is important.”
August 12, 2023
I’ve discussed this before, but it’s good to revisit it occasionally. What’s your prayer life like? God wants us to come to Him in prayer. He wants us to ask for our needs, our wants, and for help.
Interestingly enough, God knows what you and I need before we even open our mouths or think a thought. But, He still wants you to ask.
So, I ask you once again, what’s your prayer life like?
I feel my prayer life is anything but perfect. Why? Because we can never come to God often enough. Nor can we achieve the perfection He expects from us.
But, it is good to have a “prayer routine” of sorts. I’m not telling you or anyone to do what I do, nor am I showing off and saying, “Look what I do!”
But here it is:
Each day after I get up and get the coffee going, I head to the family room and turn on my phone.
Occasionally I get sidetracked by current events, but generally, I go directly to bible.com. There, I read the devotion of the day, which includes a short story/devotion and a prayer, as well as the verse of the day.
I always highlight the verse of the day. I then look at the many pictures that Bible.com has with the verse. I generally pick one and save it to “photos” on my phone. I do this, so I can peruse them when I want to and occasionally use one in a devotion I’m writing.
Of course, morning isn’t my only prayer time. I pray throughout the day as need or want arises, and my wife and I pray at all meals, whether we are at home at someone’s house for dinner or at a restaurant.
Catching people watching Kathy and I pray at a restaurant is always interesting. I’m unsure if they are thinking to themselves, I’m dumb or doing it to be noticed, impressed, or waiting for something magical to happen. 😊
When I go to bed, I pray again. Nothing fancy or detailed. I thank God for the day, ask for a good night’s sleep, and for things to come.
None of what I just described to you is fancy. My wife and I pray from our hearts. Why? We’re alive, we breathe, and we have a mission. God’s.
Today’s devotion from the Apostle Paul is a prayer. He is praying for the believers in Ephesus. And his prayers are specific.
“For this reason, I kneel before the Father, from whom every family (3:15 The Greek for family (patria) is derived from the Greek for Father (pater).)  in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches, he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”
Ephesians 3:14-21
In the very first line of this passage, Paul says:
“For this reason, I kneel before the Father.”
Paul is doing something right from the get-go of this passage that isn’t done as much as it used to. He kneels.
It’s interesting to note the number of Churches I’ve been to over the years that have removed or don’t utilize the kneelers.
I’m not here to tell everyone to kneel. I was brought up (Catholic) doing it. I believe it is a posture of submission and surrender to Christ.
Twice in these verses, Paul mentions the words prayer. The first:
“I pray that out of his glorious riches, he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.”
Paul is asking that God give the believers of Ephesus spiritual strength. He asks that the Holy Spirit be strong within the Ephesians. This Spiritual strength allows Jesus to live within us because of our faith in him.
In his very next sentence (a rather lengthy one at that Paul continues to pray.
“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”
It may appear on the surface that Paul is praying that the Ephesians have knowledge. But they already have that; instead, Paul asks them to be blessed with comprehension.
“Knowledge: rote memorization, recognition, or recall of facts. Comprehension: understanding what the facts mean.”
(https://www.cnm.edu/depts/academic-affairs)
(rote memorization simply means learning through repetition)
Paul concludes this intercessory prayer with a doxology.
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”
He is praising God. God is more powerful than we can ever imagine. We can come to Him in prayer whenever we want to, and He won’t turn us away. He (God) will always be with us through His Son, Jesus Christ.
joegministries.com 