Word of Encouragement (5/11/2021)
We are reflecting on Paul’s prayer in Eph. 3:14-19: “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
Having addressed God as “the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,” Paul prays “that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being.” The main petition is that God would grant (or, give). This shows that what Paul is praying for is not something we can obtain with our efforts; it is something only God can give. This is ultimately why we pray, isn’t it? Whether we ask God to give us something or help us in something, we are acknowledging our limitations or inability to have what we desire to have or do what we are supposed to do. Humility, then, is the basic posture of prayer. Even in the things we feel competent about, we should resist the notion that just because we can do certain things well doesn’t mean we can achieve its intended result: “Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain” (Ps. 127:1). But this also means that we should not be daunted by the enormity of what we need. God is able to give what is too great, too precious, for us to obtain on our own.
Paul prays that God would grant/give “according to the riches of his glory.” What a daring prayer! God is the God of an infinite glory. The riches of His glory are therefore immeasurable. And Paul is appealing to the riches of His glory for his petition. But how can he do that? What gives him any hope of accessing the riches of God’s glory? Not how sincere or fervent he is in his petition. There is no mention of such things in this prayer. If so, Paul’s confident appeal to the riches of God’s glory must come from the power and authority of Jesus Christ, by which he prays. The perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ grants full access to the riches of God’s glory to those who believe in Him and are united with Him through faith. How blessed we are!
What does Paul want God to give us according to the riches of His glory? “To be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being....” Paul wants us to be strengthened with power in our inner being. Our inner being is our soul/spirit. This power is spiritual in character, therefore, not physical. This spiritual power is, at least in this prayer, not about performing miraculous signs and wonders. As we will see later, it is about knowing the love of Christ more deeply to the point of being filled with all the fullness of God (v. 19)! That’s just breathtaking, isn’t it? Remember the source of this power: it is the riches of God’s glory! And the work of strengthening us with this power is done by the Holy Spirit.
Brothers and sisters, what a wonderful reminder of what is available to us in Jesus Christ! God desires to give from the riches of His glory. And He has given us the Holy Spirit to make sure we receive the abundance of His glorious grace. No wonder Paul says, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13). What strength do you need to do what God wants you to do? Let us not complain or despair that it is too hard to do. “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness...” (2 Pet. 1:3). Let us boldly pray to God in the powerful name of Jesus Christ, believing!