Title [Ephesians 3:14-21] Paul's Prayer
Text: Ephesians 3:14-21
Title: Paul's Prayer
Paul is a man of prayer. We can see that the secret to becoming a powerful evangelist was in prayer. Also, we can see that the secret to overcoming all tribulation was in prayer. In Deuteronomy 4:7 Moses said that the Lord our God is near to us whenever we pray to him. Paul lived a life where he was always close to God through his prayer life. I hope that we too will become saints who can overcome tribulation and carry out the work of the Lord with power by living a life that is always close to God through a prayer life. Now, by examining Paul's prayers in the text, we want to receive grace and receive teachings about prayer.
1. Paul knelt down and prayed to Heavenly Father (14-15).
2. Paul prayed for the saints (16-19).
It is natural to pray for yourself. It is natural to pray for your family. But it should not stop here. We need to broaden the scope of our prayers. Praying for other people and other peoples is just as important as sharing the gospel for all the saints. In particular, it is very important for believers to pray for other saints, and it will please God. We hope to please God with such broad prayers. Then, let's take a look at what kind of prayer God is pleased with through Paul's prayer recorded in the text.
① Pray for the inner person to become strong (16).
We must also pray for the health of the outward person. This is because the outward man must be healthy to do the Lord's work well. However, the more important and urgent part is for the inner person to become strong. The inner man is our soul. Our soul is the priority among all things. The Word is a means to save our souls, and prayer must be a prayer for our souls to be healthy. Let's pray for each other's inner person. Let us pray earnestly for the Holy Spirit to touch, comfort and revive each soul.
② We prayed for Christ to be in our hearts (17). Jesus promised to be with us always, even to the end of the world (Matthew 28:20). It is a great blessing that Jesus is always present in our hearts. We know well that God was with the Israelites as they walked through the wilderness. As a result of God's presence, my steps were smooth and safe, and there was no shortage of food. When the Lord accompanies us to the promised land of heaven, our lives will be safe, smooth, and lacking in anything. For Christ's presence, we must have faith (17). May all of us always pray for this faith and presence.
③Prayed to become a strong believer (17). Beliefs can change depending on circumstances or circumstances. This was also seen in the saints who helped Judas Iscariot, Peter, and Paul. We see this a lot in modern Christians as well. You must become a strong believer and unwavering believer. To do that, you must realize the love of Christ. I hope that you will know the true love of Christ, who atoned for all our sins by dying on the cross, and lead a life of unwavering faith.
④ I prayed that the fullness of God would fill the saints (19). It is difficult to describe the fullness of God. To name a few, it refers to the various attributes of God, such as righteousness, love, power, glory, generosity, peace, joy, patience, gentleness, etc. It means that we prayed for these things to be filled in us and mature. Let's pray for each other with this content. Finally, Paul prayed that the glory of God may be eternal in the church and in Christ from generation to generation (21). It is natural to pray for the glory of the Lord. Praying for spiritual blessings to come to the saints is ultimately for the glory of God. We must pray and practice, thinking about how we can reveal God's glory every day. I hope that God's glory may be filled with ourselves, the church, and all nations through a prayer life that conforms to God's will by imitating Paul's prayer.