That You May Know…

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Scripture: Ephesians 3:17-19 (ESV)

17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Devotion:

            The scripture above is part of a prayer that the apostle Paul prays for the church at Ephesus. Paul asks God to provide the people to whom this was written with special knowledge and insight into the things of God—the knowledge they would need to thrive and be productive for the kingdom—not knowledge that was some secret, but the knowledge that God makes available to all who ask Him for it. Therefore, this prayer is as much for us as it was for the people of Ephesus.

            The people of Ephesus Paul’s time were well off by the standards of the time. They were also very religious. They had a temple there dedicated to Diana that was so beautiful that it was considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The Ephesian believers were constantly under attack because they would not bow down to this “god.” That is why the book of Ephesians is so full of encouragement for these believers. Their situation was not all that different from what we face today. We need this prayer every bit as much as its first audience.

            People today are not likely to be found bowing down at a temple to worship some pagan deity. Our false gods are more subtle in their demands to be worshiped. Some of our gods include money, power, fame, sex, and a host of other “quiet” gods that take people captive without their knowledge or consent. In the face of this new paganism, we need to be extra watchful and intentional about guarding our hearts and minds against these forces of evil in the world. We must be immersed in the prayer that Paul prays for the church at Ephesus.

            Let us seek to be found ready to pray for those things Paul commends to the Ephesians. We know God desires such prayer from us and is ready to answer us whenever we pray. Let us not grow weary of praying because we need Jesus at every hour of every day. We must constantly come before God, asking for strength and wisdom to face each new day's challenges and trials.

Prayer:

            Lord, we pray with Paul today. Fill us, Lord, with the knowledge of the gift of your son to keep us safe from the enemy of our souls. May the name of Jesus be made famous because of our deeds of love and compassion upon the earth. Teach us how to love as Jesus loved and obey as Jesus obeyed. Give us strength to love and serve our neighbor and hasten the coming of your kingdom on the earth. Amen.

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