Ephesians
“Prayer”
What drives you to prayer?
And when you do pray – what do you pray about?
“One of the best ways to discover a Christian’s chief anxieties and ambitions is to study the content of his prayers and the intensity with which he prays them” - (The Message of Ephesians (BST) John Stott (Leicester: IVP, 1979), 131.
“Prayer expresses desire” (Stott 1979, 131)
In Ephesians 3 – Paul prays.
Eph 3:14 says “For this reason…”
What reason? What has birthed this prayer?
The reasons outlined thus far in this letter.
For the reason being utterly overwhelmed by the blessings in Christ that have been gifted to His disciples.
For the reason that people who were once dead in sin are now made alive in Christ.
For the reason that dividing walls between warring peoples have been broken down.
For the reason that the church is such an object lesson of the unsearchable riches of Christ – the rulers and powers in the heavenly realms look on.
For the reason – that Paul is a prisoner and in suffering, does not want the church to be discouraged about this.
And so – with all that in mind and more – for “this reason I kneel…”
The usual stance for a Jew in prayer is to stand.
Not kneel.
Kneeling was a sign of deep passion and emotion.
Like Stephen kneeling when dying for Christ (Acts 7:60).
Paul – when he was farewelling the Ephesian elders (Acts 20:36).
Jesus in Gethsemane (Lk 22:41).
Paul here.
In chains.
Suffering.
And he kneels “before the Father from Whom His whole family in heaven and earth derives its name” (Eph 3:14b-15).
“For this reason…”
“I kneel with deep passion and feeling…”
“Before the One Who created all and is in all and in Whom all things have their being…”
“Before the Father of all”.
“And my prayer is this”, says Paul.
That by the Spirit of God – you would be aware that Christ dwells in your heart.
And is there to stay (v 17).
He is not visiting.
He is not checking out to decide whether or not we are worthy.
He is not staying until He can find something better.
Or upgrade.
Paul prays that the church would know, by the power of the Spirit, that Christ is here to dwell.
Permanently.
Insofar as that is concerned – the Incarnation was not a one-off.
The Word became flesh and dwelt among – He still dwells among.
And within.
The heart of Paul’s prayer – his burning hope – maybe even the reason that he is on his knees, is so that the saints, the church, us –
• Would be established in the love of God
• Would know the dimensions of the love of God
• Would know this love which surpasses knowledge – so that we would be full of God.
The key is love.
The love as described in Rom 8:37-39
"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."
The love which is not just for our enjoyment – but love which takes on this world:
1 John 3:11-18
"For this is the message you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. We must not be like Cain who was from the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous. Do not be astonished, brothers and sisters, that the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life because we love one another. Whoever does not love abides in death. All who hate a brother or sister are murderers, and you know that murderers do not have eternal life abiding in them. We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action."
And things seemed to be going so well!!
This letter to the Ephesians was so heart-warming, so inspiring, so reassuring.
But we have this moment now – this prayer being prayed by the apostle in chains.
Pleading with God that this first century church would get it.
That every church thereafter who read these words would get it.
That we would know the love of God spoken of in Romans 8; and ensure that love was earthed as demanded by 1 John.
And of that wasn’t enough – we have the haunting reminder of Rev 2 that the church of Ephesus didn’t get it.
Or maybe it is more accurate to say – they forgot it.
That they lost their first love; that they forgot the love of Rom 8 and stopped loving in the spirit of 1 John.
So Paul’s passionate prayer was not without reason back then.
And it seems that it might not be without reason today.
So.
“For this reason I kneel before the Father…” (Eph 3:14)
What reason drives you to your knees in prayer before the Father of all (Eph 3:14) – before Whom you have freedom and confidence (Eph 3:12)?
What reason – has you passionate and full of feeling and praying your most intense prayer before God?
This freedom and confidence before God that you have been gifted – what are you doing with that?
How are you using that freedom and confidence when you pray?
For what purpose? For what reason?
And as far as you know your own heart – how much love is involved in this prayer?
How do the prayers you now pray – compare to your first love?
Simply - what do you long for?
Does it continue the prayer prayed in Eph 3:14-21?
And so to the end of the prayer.
The doxology.
With your prayer, your longing in mind, God can do immeasurably more than all of that.
We like that bit.
That’s a cool bit.
And yet it is linked to glory.
Glory in the church.
Glory in Christ Jesus.
Glory throughout all generations.
It is a filter if you will.
A check.
Does my longing, the reason I am driven to my knees before the Father of all, bring glory?
Presented By: Rev G New