The most striking thing about Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:14-19 is his focus on the soul: all his requests have to do with the health and growth of the inner being, the “heart,” and none of them center on bodily needs. Although in chains (6:20), Paul’s petitions escape the mundane and transport him into lofty realms of spiritual transformation.
The most sobering thing about Paul’s prayer is how different it is from my typical pattern. My tendency has been to ask the Lord for material blessings of all kinds (health, safety, income, nice weather, etc.). In Ephesians 3 these matters just don’t occur to Paul. Not that it’s wrong to pray for bodily needs and creature comforts—it’s right (e.g., James 5:16, pray for healing). But there’s so much more to an authentic, abundant life for a child of God on this earth: so much more.
The most incredible thing about Paul’s prayer is how high he sets his sights. In other words, the appeal is not merely for a soul tune-up but a total overhaul. In 3:18 the plea is that God would enable us to truly grasp the vast proportions of Christ’s love; in 3:19 Paul’s cry is that believers would “be filled with all the fullness of God.” What more can one ask in prayer for Christians than that God would fill them to the brim with his very presence?
So, is your prayer life soaring with Paul’s lofty heart-cry in 3:14-19, or is it stuck in foggy lowlands?
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