Ephesians 3:14-19
14For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height – 19to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (New King James Version)
Something moves and inspires me when I see someone express their inward heart toward God outwardly: the bowing of the head, the bending of the knee, the raising of the hands, any form of artistic expression. Using our bodies to worship Him is one of many ways to love the Lord our God with all our strength. In this instance, Paul’s humble approach to prayer, bowing his knee, also expresses the sincerity of his love for the Ephesians. I am more inclined to fall on my knees (and on occasion, even my face) when I feel passionate about the person(s) or circumstance(s) I lift before God.
What magnetizes me to this prayer is its versatility. Prayer can accomplish multiple functions. The one praying is certainly impacted, but when surrendered to the Holy Spirit, the prayer can profoundly bless those who hear it or, as in this case, read it. In Ephesians 3:14, the Holy Spirit guides Paul’s prayer to teach us sound doctrine: “…the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named” (vs. 15). Prayer aligns us with His Spirit from Whom we gain our strength and power (vs. 16). Prayer is an invitation to submit to God, moving us back to the basics:“that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith…being rooted and grounded in love” (vs. 17). Prayer enlightens our understanding, amplifying our awareness of the “width and length and depth and height – to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge” (vs. 18-19). Prayer clears out soul clutter. It prepares and repairs the heart so it can be filled to overflowing “with all the fullness of God” (vs. 19).
Because how I pray can negatively or positively impact the soul, I pray about praying! Sometimes, I want to pray for my way rather than God’s will. My prayers can become a performance, longing to impress those listening, shifting glory to myself, not God. I must guard against comparing the value of my prayers in contrast to others. In short, I can be too lousy and loveless to pray well. I am learning I cannot blindly trust my limited intelligence and my unbridled ambition to guide me in praying with pure motives.
With this in mind, I ask the Holy Spirit to guide my thoughts and to inspire the words I pray: I want my prayers to delight the Lord’s heart, to glorify Him, and to align with scripture that they may convict and encourage others. I seek the Spirit’s help because I do not always know how to pray as I ought (Rom. 8:26). And Paul’s prayer inspires me to pray one more thing – that my prayers would be “rooted and grounded in love.”
Here in Ephesians, we see every word of his prayer rooted within God’s love. Without it, the perception of our position as members of God’s family becomes warped; and we are rendered incompetent to wield the riches of His glory with integrity. Without faith marinated in love, we cannot be spiritually strengthened; and our understanding of God’s love is darkened.
Prayer saturated in love purifies the motives moving our words, leaving us able to receive and be filled with all that God holds sacred and holy and most endearing: His lovingkindness.
For Reflection and Discussion:
1. Explore Ephesians 3:14-19 carefully. List the ways God demonstrates His love for you (i.e., inclusion in His family) and how you see God’s personality (“the riches of His glory”) revealed through this prayer. Spend some time worshiping Him, thanking Him for the way He works His love into you.
2. Hebrews 4:16 encourages us to “come boldly to the throne of grace.” How can bowing the knee, a humble stance, be reconciled with boldness?
3. This prayer contains some powerful imagery: “riches of His glory,” inner spiritual strength, “rooted and grounded in love,” and “the width and length and depth and height” – the boundlessness of God’s love through Christ. Take a moment to activate the gift of your imagination and dwell on these word pictures. Which one strikes you the most, and why?
4. The Holy Spirit could have inspired Paul to pray that we may become “rooted and grounded in ‘faith’ or ‘truth’ or ‘fill-in-the-blank,’” but He led him to pray that we would be “rooted and grounded in love.” Of all virtues, why do you think it is necessary for our spiritual root system to draw deeply from “love”? The evidence of a healthy root system is the branch’s fruitfulness. Are your branches bountiful or barren? Does everyone, including your enemies, have access? How can we apply holy fertilizer to those love roots? Rejoice in ways the Lord has used you to express His love to others. Be transparent with yourself and with Him about those you struggle to love, and confess your need for His empowering help.
5. Recently, I was awakened to the enemy’s schemes to draw my gaze upon the width, length, depth, and height of unfulfilled desires and feelings of rejection and alienation. Do you ever find yourself staring into what appears to be a yawning cavern of endless grief, endless failure, unfulfilled hopes, and dreams? What areas of your life do you feel would be most impacted if you grasped the width, length, depth, and height of God’s love for you? Christ’s love for you? The Spirit’s love for you?
6. What do you think it means to be “filled with all the fullness of God”? What aspects of God’s holiness would you like to see poured into your heart and made evident through your actions?
7. As you prayed through Ephesians 3:14-19 this week, did the Holy Spirit ignite any insights in your heart? Did He inspire you to pray anything unique or unexpected? Can you share a change of thought or action?