Probably many of you remember the chorus of the old invitation hymn that says, “For you I am praying, For you I am praying, For you I am praying, I’m praying for you.”
In Ephesians 3:14-21 we hear the apostle Paul praying for his Christian friends in Ephesus. Even though Paul was at that time sitting in a prison and deprived of many privileges, he yet has a deep concern for his fellow-believers and fervently prays for their spiritual welfare.
In his prayer Paul names four concerns that he has for these Christian friends, and I wish to expand on each of them to better grasp the full impact of his concern and desire for them.
He first prays that they would be strengthened with Holy Spirit power in their Inner being. “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being.”
This is an essential priority for Paul. I confessed of often being more inclined to pray for the power of physical, financial, or mental health strength. But this prayer asks for a power where it really counts, deep within our inner spiritual being.
As much as we might be inclined to ask for the outward kinds of power, this prayer bypasses those desires for an inner power that steadies and strengthens every other aspect of our life. Paul knew and so should we know that if we are not strong inwardly, the temptations and pressures of life will cause our life to collapse.
Paul then prays “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” This is the “north star” of Paul’s theology. He is convinced by his own experience that a person may live in Christ and enjoy the spiritual power of the living Lord who dwells within the inner being.
Remember, these were Christians for whom Paul was praying. The word “dwell” means “to be at home” or “to have undisputed ownership.” Paul prayed that Jesus would be given first place in their lives as Lover and Lord.
Paul had learned that when Christ dwells in our heart we are given a new orientation for life and set in a new direction of decision-making and behaviors. We must remember that Christ is always intent in leading us home, to the Father’s house, and on the way he is remaking us after his image so that we may be happy children with him in our eternal home.
Paul continues his prayer with “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.”
Paul has experienced the transforming power of God’s forgiving love and desires the same experience for his fellow believers. He prays that they would be enabled to fully understand the all-encompassing greatness of Christ’s love. His prayer is in response to his belief that Christ’s love goes beyond the most extreme limits of our ability to understand until it is personally experienced.
The true reality is that all knowledge of God is grounded in experiential love, for God is love. And so, to fully know Christ’s love we must first open ourselves to experiencing it in practical everyday living.
Paul concludes with a grand summary concern “that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” This is the ultimate reality and experience that Paul desires for the Ephesian Christians. He desires that they live each day being brim full of God.
Imagine being filled with all the fullness of God. It is unbelievable to our natural minds but believe it we must! Of course, we cannot contain all of God’s fullness. Our Creator remains Lord, and the line between creature and Creator are never completely blotted out. However, we can receive God’s fullness to the full measure of our capacity and to the degree of our being willingly yielded to him.
This is what it means to be Spirit-filled, to have a relationship with God that is so yielded to him that he comes to us and dwells with us in intimacy and power, so that we can experience in life the abundance Jesus promised. Jesus says in Revelation 3:20, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”
This prayer is comprehensive in its scope and transforming in its potential. Imagine what could happen in a church where each member of the congregation committed themselves to pray this prayer for themselves and for each other as they gather each Sunday to worship the God and Father of us all.
“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.”
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“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – September 16, 2020
Ray M. Geigley
Healing Rays of Righteousness 
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