Ephesians 3:14-21
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20 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, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Have you ever felt like your prayers go nowhere? Like they hit the ceiling and bounce back down? Here’s the exciting truth: if you are in Christ, then Christ is in you, and He hears you.
Christians often learn how to pray by listening and then imitating other Christians. This can be either a good thing or a bad thing. It’s good when we listen to mature believers or study prayers like the Psalms. It’s bad when we hear immature or misinformed Christians pray and adopt their patterns.
Prayer is one of the most edifying and humbling activities we can engage in. It’s as we pray that we share our greatest needs, desires, fears, confusions, pains, joys, and thanksgivings with God. But what does biblical prayer actually look like?
Prayer is Personal
I used to believe there was a formula to prayer, that if I say the right words, the right posture, the perfect phrasing then God would give me what I want. I would even practice my prayers (what a facepalm moment right?) in the hope that by appearing more polished it would somehow force God into answering my prayer the way I wanted.
Prayer is not about how you look in front of others or even if you’re using the right words. It’s about you engaging in sharing the burdens and desires of your heart with God. He doesn’t need you to perform. He wants you to be real with him.
Prayer is Relational
“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father” (v. 14)
Jesus called God “the Father” sixty-six times in the Gospels. If you want to learn how to pray, don’t focus on the mechanics of prayer. Focus on authentically communing and communicating with God.
What’s the key? Knowing who your Father is.
In the natural world, watch kids who have a good dad. They come to him freely, knowing he loves them, listens to them, and answers with “yes,” “no,” or “later.” They trust his heart even when they don’t get what they want.
Not all of us have had a great example of a father. Some fathers were absent. Others were abusive. But here’s what changes everything: We have been adopted into God’s family (Ephesians 1:5).
Because we’ve all been adopted in Christ, we can pray for each other. This encourages one another toward Christ and helps us discern His voice.
Prayer is Asking
“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith” (vv. 16-17)
Wait…Why would Paul pray that? Remember, he’s addressing believers who already have Christ.
By praying this, Paul was asking that Christ would dwell in us. In other words, make our lives His home. Think about the difference between renting and owning a home. When you rent, you’re temporary and cautious. When you own, you settle in, make changes, and invest in the place.
The Christian life isn’t a life lived for God, but the life of God lived in us.
Paul is praying that Jesus would move into every room of our hearts. Come in, live, and over time transform and be constantly working on every area of our lives. He’s also praying that we wouldn’t lock parts of our lives off from God.
Prayer is Yearning
“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge” (vv. 17-19)
Jesus loves you.
What does your heart do when you hear that statement? Do you believe it? Disbelieve it because of your sin? Struggle to grasp it? Paul (the writer) doesn’t doubt that God loves you.
What he does doubt is that you would believe it.
You can know God loves you the same way you know facts for an exam. But you’ll never fully experience the freedom of being in Christ and knowing who you are in Christ without truly experiencing, believing, and allowing the love that Christ has for you to sink deep into your soul.
How do you know the love Jesus has for you? Read Ephesians 1 and 2 and choose to let that truth define and drive your life.
I’ve found that in my moments of greatest suffering, failure, and disappointment, I’ve been confronted by the unending, immovable, unshakable love of Christ.
Prayer is Expecting
“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” (v. 20)
I once had a pastor say to me ‘The greatest test of your theology is not what you say, but how you pray.’ Question: If someone eavesdropped on your prayers, how would they view God?
We should pray expecting to be heard, especially when we pray within His will. Do you pray believing God will hear and answer you? Or do you pray begging and hoping?
We can come to God in prayer with confidence and boldness, secure in His love for us.
Prayer is Revealing
You’ll really figure out the condition of your own heart and motivations when you listen to yourself pray. Where is the focus? My prayer life used to be a shopping list: Bail me out, give
me this or do this for me.
But Paul’s prayer begins and ends how all of ours should: “To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen” (v. 21)
We exist to glorify God. This theme appears in Scripture some 275 times! 50 times in Psalms alone. Once we determine in our souls that God’s glory is our goal, we stop taking the path of least resistance and start taking the path that brings the most glory to God.
As John Piper writes, “The chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever.”
Your Father is waiting. You will be heard. What are you waiting for?
Today, practice praying with the confidence that you are heard. Share one burden or desire with your Father, knowing He loves you, listens to you, and will answer according to His perfect will.
