Strength Through Prayer August 18th, 2024
God of all wisdom, quiet all that distracts us and prepare us to listen for your Word speaking through the Scriptures. May we learn how best to follow you, in the example of Christ, your Living Word. Amen.
This morning’s reading from the Apostle Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians brought us not only to the end of the third chapter, but also to the end of the first half of the book. In the first three chapters Paul has taken us on a journey describing our riches in Christ. He has taught us that being a Christian means being a part of God’s family, that the church was planned by God before the world was made and includes all people who come to faith in Christ, and also that heaven’s riches are available to every member. Now the closing verses which we heard read this morning are a final prayer by Paul in which he prays that we might all take possession of the riches that we have learned about through God’s word.
This is the second prayer in the book of Ephesians. The first prayer was in the opening chapter where Paul prayed for the enlightenment of the members of the Ephesian church. He prayed for them, “I want you to know your power”. Here, at the end of the third chapter he prays for their enablement, praying, "God, I want them to use their power." He’s not talking about power for power’s sake but power that God gives us for a relationship with him leading to salvation.
Paul wants them to understand the power which was given them through Christ and then he wants them to use that power. So, the first prayer was, "Oh, God, that You would fill them with the spirit of revelation and knowledge and understanding, that they might comprehend their inheritance. That they may know their resources. They might know they have resurrection power." This was in chapter 1 and now, at the end of chapter 3, he says, "Oh, God, I pray that they might begin to do what that power enables them to do."
Prayers like Paul’s are what our soul requires, and God seeks to communicate with us through prayer. Many of the New Testament books point to the importance of prayer as the only thing wanted by human souls. Do you ever feel like something is lacking in your life? The power of prayer helps us in building our relationship with God and can give us his peace. In many ways, prayer unlocks miracles in the lives of people. We, in the 21st century with our worldly lives, like the ancient Ephesian Church, need to rediscover prayer and learn, as well as grow in, the art of prayer.
The prayer of Paul which we heard this morning has three main elements. First, Paul prays for strength so that Christ may dwell in the hearts of his readers. Next, he prays that they may comprehend the love of Christ. Then, he prays that they might be filled with the fullness of God. Finally, Paul concludes the prayer with what theologians call a doxology. It's an acknowledgement of God's power and glory.
Paul begins his prayer by saying, “I pray therefore that you may not lose heart over my sufferings for you; they are your glory.” At the time he was writing this letter Paul was being held in a Roman jail cell, chained to his guard. He was waiting to go on trial in Rome, having been accused of inciting a riot in Jerusalem. As you can imagine, this would not be a very comfortable place to be.
He then says, “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,” This shows how serious Paul was about this prayer, the normal position of prayer for a Jewish person was standing, not kneeling, but Paul was totally committed to his prayer and so bent his knees before the Lord. When Jesus was teaching his disciples how to pray, he said to them, “‘And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.’” (Matthew 6:5-6) We should pray with the same passion to increase our connection with God, the Father. This quiet time with him can bring such peace from our often stressed lives.
In these opening lines of his prayer, Paul is encouraging the Ephesians not to be disheartened by the hardships he's enduring, which are for their spiritual benefit, hence 'their glory'. He speaks of humbling himself in prayer to God, the Father, acknowledging that everyone on heaven and earth owe their very existence to him.
From the very beginning of time, God’s grand intention was always to rescue all people from every nation, tribe, and tongue, Jew and Gentile alike. And the unfolding of God’s plan was always directed toward raising up a people for his own glory, who would be united across all human-made boundaries. God was going to tear down boundaries that divided races, genders, and nations; and he was going to call a people into relationship with himself and with each other to display his greatness to the whole world. Indeed today, there are billions of Christians all over the world who pray and love God everyday and although it doesn’t seem like it here, that number continues to grow worldwide.
Paul then says, “I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love.” That’s the first purpose for Paul’s prayer, that the power of the Holy Spirit would be unleashed in their lives and that the Holy Spirit would help them grasp the incredible love of God. Paul asks for the inner strength of believers to be strengthened by God's Spirit. This strength is not just for personal gain but to allow Christ to reside in the believers' hearts through faith, establishing them in love for God and others.
It's important to note that Paul prays for love. Loving may seem natural, but often it is not the case. However, love is the cardinal virtue of the church. We should be rooted and established in love. Love should be our foundation in our lives. This love is meant to be shared with others, in truthfulness and kindness.
The Apostle Paul also prays that the Ephesian believers would be touched by the Holy Spirit whose work is to form faith in the hearts of all God’s children. The Holy Spirit offers people what they need in times of hardships, it may not always be what they want, but it is what they need according to God’s plan for their lives. Thus, this prayer is for the Ephesians, knowing that only prayer would strengthen their hearts and open new possibilities and hope in their congregations.
Having the power of the Spirit available to us gives us tremendous strength in times of need. In following Christ and developing Christian virtues, we need this strength to do the work we are called to do. We need this strength to meet the challenges of life for ourselves and those around us in our homes and communities. Paul prays for the spiritual strengthening of all believers in the power of the Holy Spirit.
We often pray for the “outer man,” our bodies and worldly needs, which is perishing; Paul prays for the “inner man,” eternal life with God, which is being renewed day by day. Paul, in his first letter to the church in Corinth, wrote to the believers there, “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). Our faith helps us as the outer man perishes, the inner man gains strength.
In the conclusion of his prayer Paul moves from talking about our love to talking about Christ’s love. He says, “I pray that you may have the power 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, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” Paul wants us to know about Jesus’ love and to know it more and more. He wants us to know how wide, how high and how deep God’s love is.
The wideness of God’s love shows he is willing to love all kinds of people. His love is long enough to stand the test of time and eternity. His love is deep enough to reach the lowliest sinner, and it is high enough to bring us to heavenly realms. Paul wants us to be “filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” God is able, says Paul, to do more than we ask or imagine through prayer.
Paul has the desire for believers to fully grasp the vastness of Christ's love—a love that extends in every direction and dimension, surpassing our human understanding. This love is so great that we must experience it deeply and be transformed by God’s love that knows no bounds. Prayer can build that bond with God.
And finally, we come to Paul’s benediction, he says, “Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.” This benediction of Paul’s reminds us that God is able to do far more than we can ask or think, according to his power that works within us. And he reminds us, that all of these amazing blessings are not primarily for our happiness, but rather for God’s eternal glory in his relationship with each of us.
It's interesting to note that Paul’s words are not unlike the closing words of the Lord’s prayer, “For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen” And that’s because Paul, like us when we pray, is focused on God and bringing glory to him. That should be the ultimate goal of the church and every Christian, bringing glory to God.
Paul’s benediction speaks of the boundless power of God to exceed our requests and imaginations, according to his power which is at work within believers. This power is not just for the present, but it's a continuous source of glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations. It's a reminder even when things seem bleak, of the infinite possibilities that faith in God's power brings, encouraging believers to trust in God's ability to go far beyond what we can foresee or understand.
Finally, as followers of Christ, we are called to prioritize prayer in all that we do on behalf of God. Paul encouraged the members of the church in Thessalonica to, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” (1st Thessalonians 5:16-17) The record of Jesus’ time here on earth that is found in the Gospels is filled with prayer. Drawing close to God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit is possible in and through prayer.
Through prayer, being our daily talks with God, we can live and experience the love Christ showed us. Faith and prayer should always go hand in hand. And while Paul has shown us the power of prayer we need to always remember that the power of prayer can not always be easily explained, but the power of prayer can be experienced by those who nurture their faith in God.
Let us Pray:
Heavenly Father, give us strength and teach us to pray such prayers that you might be honoured among us. Thank you that what you have done for us is only the beginning. Be glorified in our midst by all, in this church, today, tomorrow and forever. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, we pray. Amen