Ephesians 3:14–21 is the second prayer that Paul prays for the church at Ephesus. And I want to do the same thing that we did with the first one in Ephesians 1. I want to just read it and then paraphrase it by praying it over you, over us. So here are the exact words. Paul prayed this over the Ephesian Christians.
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
Yes, Lord, we pray that. I pray that specifically over every single person listening to this podcast right now. And I pray over those who listen to this podcast daily, regularly. I bow my knees before you, Father. You are the author of every single person on the earth. God, you are the creator of every single man, woman, child in the world. You are the creator of all, the sovereign owner of it all, and you have all glory.
Ephesians 3:14–21 Is A Prayer for the Strength of God
I pray that according to the riches of your glory… You would grant the people who are listening to this right now to be strengthened with power through your Spirit in their inner being. Oh God, that they would know they have your Spirit in them. And God, that they would have strength, power, and everything they need by the power of your Spirit. Lord Jesus, that you would dwell in their hearts through faith. That they would believe in you, they would trust in you all day long. That they would walk in step with your Spirit knowing you are abiding in them. They would be rooted and grounded in love.
Ephesians 3:14–21 Is A Prayer for Understanding
God, help them to know how high, how wide, how long, how deep your love is for them. In a fresh way, even right now, may they know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge. We’ll never know it fully, but God, may we know it more. May those who are listening right now know your love more today than they did yesterday. And Lord, may they be filled with all your fullness, all you have, that all you give, God that they would experience. And I pray that in them and through them, you would do far more abundantly than all I or they could ask or even think according to your power at work within them. All to your glory in their lives, our lives to your glory, in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever.
Prayer for the Agri People
And oh God, we pray this over the Agri people, Hindu people in India, 523,000 of them, no known followers of Jesus. God, we pray that the Agri people would be reached with the high, deep, long, wide love of Jesus, that they would be awakened by your Spirit to new life in your family knowing you as their Father, that a church would be planted that displays your glory in ways far beyond what we could ask or imagine right now. God, we pray this over the Agri people and we pray this over our lives, oh God, all according to your Word, which we love in Ephesians 3:14–21. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
