“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)
Step 1: Probe the prayer under the light of the Holy Spirit.
With so much momentum being built up in verses 17 through 20 I almost feel like Paul is throwing me through the windshield as he hits the brakes on this prayer in verse 21…
…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!
In concluding his prayer, Paul is drawing our attention away from ourselves and back onto the One who makes all aspects of this prayer possible. Before leaving God’s presence Paul takes time to give him an offering – the offering of praise. Let’s take a moment and offer up our praise.
“Accept, I pray, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD, And teach me Your judgments.” (Psalm 119:108 NKJV)
Paul is also letting us know that this prayer was not just for the Church at Ephesus. This prayer is for every local Church that names the name of Jesus. It is also not just for those living in Paul’s day. It is for all believers for all times throughout eternity. That means that the prayer is for you and me today, for our children, grandchildren, and all generations forever.
Tomorrow we will move into steps 2 and 3 of our outline. Before personalizing this prayer and praying it together, let’s spend some time meditating on all that we have discussed. Let’s give the Holy Spirit an opportunity to share whatever we may have missed or whatever he would like to add. It would also be appropriate to take some more time offering up praises to our Father who loves us so much.
Let’s ponder…
Eric’s Life Lesson # 445: Praying With Paul – Ephesians 3:13-21 Part 10