A Journey Through Ephesians…3:14-19

If you are just now tuning in… we are scribing our way through the book of Ephesians. Grab a pen and write out the scriptures – ESPECIALLY THIS ONE. Reflect on every word, letter, meaning, phrase. What jumps off the page to you? Otherwise, you can just read along!

When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit. Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.  And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Ephesians 3:14-19

Friends, this is a side of Paul we have yet to see. And it is beautiful.

Today we peek into his intimate and life-giving relationship with The Father…

This entire passage is not only a prayer but a doxology, an expression of Paul’s faith in Jesus and an acknowledgment of the Holy Spirit’s power to deepen His Work in our lives. So much in here… and honestly we may stay with these verses more than one day.

But today, I want you to see this passage as an opportunity to pray…

Here’s a backstory…. years ago, after my mother passed away, her best friend, Cherry, swooped in to love on our family in a rich, selfless way. “Grammy” Cherry, as we called her, would stay with my grandmother for weeks, lightening my load of elderly care. She would cook big country meals, take our boys bowling and sneak me away for an afternoon lunch or shopping adventure.

She was amazing.

Grammy is with Jesus (and my mom) now, but her legacy lives on. And today it is found in this picture ….

This Bible was a gift to me on one of her trips to town. She could have written anything in the front – but Paul’s words were her choice.

Grammy Cherry understood the importance of a child knowing the breadth of God’s love AND The Holy Spirit’s ability to strengthen the inner man.

When I opened this Bible, and read her “letter” to me… I also was allowed a peek into her intimate and life-giving relationship with The Father and an example of not only “what” she prayed but how.

According to His PERFECT Word.

Praying Scripture is method of prayer of which we can never go wrong.

So friend, I invite you to be imitators of Paul (and Cherry) today. We will not only read this text. We will not only scribe this text…. but we will pray this text.

Pick your people… and let us go before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name…..

Today, I fall to my knees and pray to you Father for _____________. I pray that from Your glorious, unlimited resources You will empower _______________ with inner strength through Your Spirit. Christ, I pray You will make Your home in his/her heart as ___________ trusts in You. I pray for ______________ roots to grow down into God’s love and keep him/her strong.  And may ______________ would have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep Your love is. May he/she experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then _________________ will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from You, God. In Jesus Name, Amen.