Friday 17th November
“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)
I don’t know about you, but I immediately hear echoes of the Lord’s prayer here. It seems to me it is a model that Jesus gave us, always start prayer, not with requests but with a recognition of the greatness, majesty, power, love, mercy of our heavenly Father. Somehow that recognition guides the rest of prayer. There is no doubt that the words that follow are given by the Spirit as a prayer targeted at each individual in the Ephesian church. It’s a prayer that is worth repeating over and over again as we pray for one another. Knowing the love of God within us results in transformation – in effect Paul is praying that these disciples of Jesus will become more and more like Him as they comprehend His love and respond. Not a bad thing to ask for. I am always struck by the last sentence “do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think”, God’s answers to our prayer may be well and truly ‘outside the box’ and always abundant! Let’s pray for one another like this.
Geoff Hinch
