“Never stop praying” (1 Thessalonians 5:17 NLT)
”So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” (Hebrews 4:16 NLT)
“Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” (Mark 11:24 NKJV)
“My dear friends, I pray that you will remain strong and not be discouraged or ashamed by all that I suffer on your behalf, for it is for your glory. So I kneel humbly in awe before the Father of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, the perfect Father of every father and child in heaven and on the earth. And I pray that he would unveil within you the unlimited riches of his glory and favor until supernatural strength floods your innermost being with his divine might and explosive power. Then, by constantly using your faith, the life of Christ will be released deep inside you, and the resting place of his love will become the very source and root of your life. Then you will be empowered to discover what every holy one experiences—the great magnitude of the astonishing love of Christ in all its dimensions. How deeply intimate and far-reaching is his love! How enduring and inclusive it is! Endless love beyond measurement that transcends our understanding—this extravagant love pours into you until you are filled to overflowing with the fullness of God! Never doubt God’s mighty power to work in you and accomplish all this. He will achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination! He will outdo them all, for his miraculous power constantly energizes you. Now we offer up to God all the glorious praise that rises from every church in every generation through Jesus Christ—and all that will yet be manifest through time and eternity. Amen!” (Ephesians 3:13-21 TPT)
I am so excited to get into this prayer. We will use the same outline we used on the previous prayer that we looked at. Here it is again…
…Step 1: Probe the prayer under the light of the Holy Spirit.
…Step 2: Personalize the prayer with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
…Step 3: Pray the prayer through the power of the Holy Spirit
Just like before, most of our time will be spent on Step 1. However, it is actually Step 3 that is of the greatest value. If probing Paul’s prayers is simply an intellectual exercise then we have missed the point all together. If all we accomplish is accurate understanding without accompanying power then we have wasted our time. Scripture is alive. It is intended to bring life. These prayers were recorded for us by Paul as he was inspired by the Holy Spirit. They are alive and intended by the Holy Spirit to impart to our spirits everything that they contain. Are you ready to receive life changing power? I know that I am!
We will begin with…
……Step 1: Probe the prayer under the light of the Holy Spirit.
While verse 14 is the beginning of the main prayer, it is important that we step back one verse in order to catch Paul’s heart in offering this prayer. Look at verse 13…
…“My dear friends, I pray that you will remain strong and not be discouraged or ashamed by all that I suffer on your behalf, for it is for your glory.”
Paul had the privilege of planting the Church in Ephesus. He truly loved these people. No matter where he was, they were continually on his mind. He considered them his friends. What a turn around from when he was Saul of Tarsus, Pharisee of Pharisees.
Prior to his radical visitation from Jesus on the road to Damascus, Paul was completely consumed with his driving desire to stop Christianity from getting off the ground. He was filled with zeal to make sure that every single person involved in this new sect was either imprisoned or stoned to death. He was filled with hatred for the very people that he now called friends.
Paul’s upbringing as a Jew, coupled with his theological training as a Pharisee, embedded within him the knowledge that it was Yahweh’s desire to bless the righteous with “Shalom.” This Hebrew word is most commonly translated into English as “peace.” However, it is much more than the English concept of peace which is primarily the absence of conflict. “Peace” as it is used in Scripture follows the Hebraic concept of living in a state of wholeness, completeness, well-being, and harmony. It includes being blessed in every area of life (spiritual, physical, mental/emotional, financial, etc.). It carries the idea of living a life in which there is nothing missing or broken. Because of this broader definition, it is also translated “prosperity” in a number of places. It was Paul’s expectation that his life would model “Shalom” for those in the Churches that he planted.
As a Pharisee, Saul lived to a great degree an outward life of peace and prosperity (Shalom) which was easily seen in his position of influence and affluence. However, as Paul, the newly converted follower of Jesus, he quickly came to understand that the true nature of “Shalom” was a matter of the heart (mind and spirit) which may or may not be visible externally during various seasons of life. As he was learning this lesson, he experienced trials, tribulations, rejection, imprisonments, etc. As we can see from verse 13, he was concerned about how his experiences were going to be received by those that he was writing to. He did not want his sufferings to damage their growth as new believers. He didn’t want them to stumble, or become discouraged, over the fact that he was suffering and not currently prospering.
Do you remember the old commercials about a cleaning product characterized by bubbles that scrubbed your shower or sink? These scrubbing bubbles would do their job of cleaning the dirty surface and then as they were going down the drain they would cry out, “We work hard so you don’t have toooooo…..” I believe that this was the intent of Paul when he said that his suffering was for the Ephesian believer’s glory. He was saying that, like Jesus had done for all believers, he was suffering so that they didn’t have to.
While anyone who follows Jesus visibly and verbally will at times experience suffering and persecution, it was not Jesus’ desire that they live in expectation of those things. As a believer, I place my hope and faith in Jesus’ deliverance from suffering, and protection from persecution. Likewise, Paul was suffering on behalf of other believers in order to bring the blessing of the Gospel into their lives, not so that they would develop a belief system based on suffering and pain. As a believer, I am prepared for whatever suffering may come my way, but I am living in expectation (hope & faith) of living the abundant life that Jesus promised. He suffered and died for my glory.
What I find amazing is that Paul was more concerned about the well-being of the believers at Ephesus and how they would be impacted by his suffering then he was about his own well-being and all that he was going through. That is truly a friend.
“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13 BSB)
It is from this heart of love, an example of true friendship, that Paul prays.
We will jump in the deep end and begin probing the heart of Paul’s prayer after we take time to pray over what has been offered in…
…Eric’s Life Lesson # 436: Praying With Paul – Ephesians 3:13-21 Part 2