Priorities from Paul and His Prayers - Part 7

Our prayer that we will look at from Paul is found in Ephesians 3:14-21.

14For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15from whom his whole family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20Now 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, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
(NIV)

Only one remaining prayer from D.A. Carson's book, A Call to Spiritual Reformation, exists that we have yet to meditate. I hope these series of posts force you to ponder what is most important in prayer. May you desire what the Apostle Paul desired. In this specific prayer, may you have power from the Father to grasp the love of Christ, and, in so doing, be filled with all the fulness of God. As D.A. Carson has said, it takes no less than the power of God for us to truly comprehend the love of Christ. And this pondering and comprehension is transformative; it is not idle thoughts. If you desire to be filled with Christ, prayer for power--power that enables comprehension of the limitless dimensions of Christ's love.

The following is Carson's outline of Paul's prayer:


Ephesians 3:14-21 – Praying for Power

Two Central Petitions
1.) That God might strengthen us with power through his Spirit in our inner being (vv.16-17a)
2.) That we might have power to grasp the limitless dimensions of the love of Christ (vv.17b-19)
It takes nothing less than the power of God to enable us to grasp the love of Christ.

Two Grounds for Paul’s Petitions
1.) Paul’s petitions are in line with God’s purposes.
The apostle praises God for his sovereign grace in bringing lost Jews and lost Gentiles together into one new humanity, one new community.
2.) Paul’s petitions are addressed to the heavenly Father
He is the archetypal Father, the Father of all who are truly his people in heaven and on earth.

A Final Word of Praise (3:20-21)
1.) The God whom he petitions is able to do immeasureably more than all we ask or imagine (v. 20)
2.) The ultimate purpose of Paul’s prayer is that there be glory to God, in the church and in Christ Jesus.