notes

Main point summary

Pray constantly for brothers and sisters in faith that God will give them the strength to know the unsearchable depths of God's love so that Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith.

Discourse**

editing

NT

Ephesians 3:14-19

esv

mine

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,

Do not lose heart because of my persecution due to my faith. It is your glory. For this reason I am on my knees in prayer before the Father,

from whom w every family 1 in heaven and on earth is named,

from whom we all get our name as his sons and daughters,

ideaexplanation

that according to x the riches of his glory

I pray that according to the riches of his glory

y he may grant you

he gives you

to be strengthened with power through his Spirit z in your inner being,

strength and power through his Spirit in your heart,

actionpurpose

actionmanner

a so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—

so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith -

that you, being b rooted and c grounded in love,

that you, having a firm foundation in God's love,

may have strength to d comprehend with all the saints

may have strength to understand

what is the breadth and length and e height and depth,

the breadth and length and height and depth of his love

and to know the love of Christ f that surpasses knowledge,

and to know the love of Christ, which surpasses all human knowledge,

that g you may be filled with all h the fullness of God.

ultimately, that you will be filled with all the fullness of God.

progression

discourse

Notes**

During Paul's persecution, he writes a letter to the Ephesians. In this portion of his letter, his most heartfelt prayer emerges for the believers in Ephesus. His upmost concern for the Ephesians is that God would give them the fullness of himself like Paul has experienced. He desires Christ to abide in them and they to abide in Christ. He prays on his knees, pleading with the Father, "according to the riches of your glory, give them strength and power through your Holy Spirit, so Christ may dwell in them through faith." After stating this purpose of his prayer, he explains it in detail through a series of thoughts. The more we understand the vastness of God's love, that it is unsearchable and more than our minds can concieve, we come deeper into the knowldge of his Son, Jesus Christ. Our relationship with Christ deepens. We are filled with the fullness of his Spirit, giving us eternal life and eternal peace in the presence of the King. This is Paul's greatest prayer for the saints of Ephesus, and it should be our prayer for our own lives as well as those around us. We need a yearning to know the magnitude of God's love, find deep joy in the his love, and pray others to experience the same grace. This verse was read at our wedding because it is the ultimate desire of our heart - to know Christ and make him known. When praying for my wife, I often use this passage of Paul's words to guide my prayer.