Ephesians 7
Last time we finished in the middle of Ephesians chapter 3 and this time we are going to discover what Paul is going to pray for these Ephesian Christians. He has been telling them not to be discouraged by the things he is suffering for the sake of the gospel. In verse twelve he tells them that “In Christ and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” And then in verse 14 he goes on to say, “For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom the whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name.” He is going to pray especially for them. Let’s see what the prayer is all about.
He Prays for them along three lines - first, that they may have inner strength, second, that Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith, and third, that they may know in reality the love and fullness of God. You will find this in verses 16 to 19 of this chapter. He starts by turning back to the thought of God as Father and prays to his heavenly Father for these children of his. The first part of his prayer reads like this: “that out of his glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being.” He wants them to have inner strength.
Notice that this prayer is for the inner man. It is what we are within that really matters; what we are in the inner part of our being. It is our desires, motives, thoughts and feelings that make us what we really are. You remember that Jesus said that out of the heart of man proceed evil things that make us unclean. You will find this in Mark’s gospel chapter 7. So the heart, the inner man, is where god needs to make us clean and give us strength to resist the temptation to sin. It is here in the inner man that we have fellowship with God, talk to Him in prayer and hear Him talking to us.
Then Paul tells what kind of strength this is. It is no mere ordinary human strength. Its measure is God’s measure. It is strength that comes from God Himself, from his glorious power. This shows us how God enables us to live as He wants us to live and to keep us pure in our thoughts and motives.
He says just one more thing about this strength - it comes to us by the Holy Spirit. Because He is the Holy spirit He is able to reach right within to live in our spirits and bring cleansing and strength to us. The Holy Spirit is the one who brings us all God’s blessings and does all God’s work in us. Jesus tells us John’s Gospel chapter 3 that those who place their faith in Him are born of the Spirit and so receive the life of God through the Spirit. Again, in John chapter 16 verse 13, Jesus tells us that Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth. Acts chapter 1 verse 8 says that we receive power to witness through the Spirit. There are other ways in which the holy Spirit works in our lives and all that God gives us some by his Holy Spirit. He is the one who enables us to live the Christian life.
Then Paul prays that Christ may dwell in their hearts. There it is again - in their hearts, that is in the inner man. To dwell simply means to abide, to be at home within us. Being a visitor to a home is not the same as living there. It is not home; we cannot be thoroughly at rest there. In our own homes no rooms are closed to us; there are no restrictions. Jesus Christ wants to make our hearts his home just like that. He wants to be free to go into every part of our lives and to use all we are for his glory. He wants to feel at home in us too. That means He knows we will not rebel or object whatever He wants us to do or however He wants to make us like Himself.
Then Paul speaks again of faith. It is by faith that Christ dwells in us. As it says in Ephesians chapter 2, it is by faith that we are made alive in Christ. Earlier in this chapter we discovered that it is by faith that we have boldness and access to God. And here again it is as we believe and rest in confidence in the Lord Jesus and his promises that He lives in our hearts. Faith is like the wire that brings the electricity from the power station to our homes to give us light and heat and power. When we turn the switch on, the power comes through. So when we place our trust in Jesus to save us, and put our confidence in Him for our daily lives, He dwells in our hearts and works in us.
Then, lastly, Paul wants them to know in their own experience the reality of the love and fullness of God working in them. Notice first that are to be “rooted and established in love.” The soil in which they are to grow is to be the love of God, and the foundation on which they are to stand is the love of God. There are to be no other roots from which are character grows; no selfishness or self-seeking. And there is to be no self-centred foundation but we are to be God-centred.
If our roots and foundation are right, then we can know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge. This sounds like a contradiction. It isn’t really. We cannot fully understand God’s love, but we can lay hold of it, feel and know its reality. We can know it working in us. There is breadth in it - it takes in everyone; there is length - it reaches from eternity to eternity; there is height - it reaches the highest point of heaven’s glory; and there is depth - it reaches down to the deepest need of the human heart.
Then comes the prayer that they may be filled with all the fullness of God. This seems an impossibility. It does not mean that Paul expects them to contain all that God is in their human lives. That is impossible. It does mean though, that god’s love and character can spread through all of their lives. They can be filled with his fullness like a bucket or sponge can be filled with the sea. or the water of a great lake.
Then Paul finishes with these glorious words of confidence in God. Here they are, in verses 20 and 21: “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.” What wonderful words. Let them sink into your mind!
Will you allow God to make this prayer of Paul for the Christians at Ephesus real in your life from now on?