Love Beyond Understanding (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 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 glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
– Ephesians 3:14–21

So this is the other prayer that Paul prays over these Ephesian Christians. And so I want to do the same thing with it that we did with Ephesians 1:15–23, and just pray this Spirit-prompted prayer over you, and then hopefully lead you to pray this same Spirit-inspired prayer over people around you.

And at the same time, I want to give you an image from an earlier letter from Paul as we pray this over each other and over others. In Romans 15:30, Paul says to the Christians at Rome, “I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ, by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf.” What language! Strive together in prayer to God on others’ behalf.

And so, as we pray this prayer from Ephesians 3:14–21, over each other and over others in our lives, let’s see ourselves striving in prayer to God on our behalf and on others’ behalf, straight from this Spirit-inspired prayer.

So, all right, here we go. Ephesians 3:14,

“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.”

Oh God, I pray this over every single person listening right now who knows you, who’s in your family, that according to the riches of your glory, you may grant them to be strengthened with power through your Spirit in their inner being, so that Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith. And I pray that they, being rooted and grounded in love, would have 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 they may be filled with all the fullness of God. Oh God, we pray this over each other’s lives. We pray this over other followers of Jesus. We pray that, according to the riches of your glory, that you would strengthen us with power through your Spirit in our inner being so that Christ may dwell in all of his fullness in our hearts through faith. That we would be rooted and grounded in love, and we would have the strength to comprehend how much you love us. This love that surpasses knowledge that we would be able to comprehend it as we’re filled with all your fullness. Yes, God, to all of this.

And then we say with verse 20, now to you who are able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think according to your power at work within us. Oh God, we believe that you’re able to do the impossible according to your power at work within us.

To you be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen. Yes, may it be so. To you be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all nations.

A Prayer for the Basith People

God, we pray specifically today for the Basith people of India, for this small people group in India, Basith men, women, and children, for 8,000 men, women, and children among the Basith. Oh God, may they be reached with your love in Jesus. We pray for that. God, may they be reached with your love in Jesus for your glory throughout all the nations and all generations forever and ever.

Oh God, we love your word. We love praying your word. And we say to Ephesians 3:14–21, Amen. May it be so in our lives, and may it be so in the lives of brothers and sisters in Christ around us. We pray all of this in Jesus’ name, and we say together, Amen.