A Prayer

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Scripture: Ephesians 3:14-19 (NIV)

For this reason, I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Devotion:

Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:14-19 is a profound reflection on the depth of God’s love and the power it has to transform our lives. He begins by humbling himself in reverence to the Creator, acknowledging the divine source of all families and communities. This act of kneeling before the Father reminds us of the significance of submission in our spiritual lives—a posture not just of the body but of the heart.

The prayer centers on a request for inner strength through the Holy Spirit, an invitation for each of us to open our hearts to the indwelling presence of Christ. Paul’s words challenge us to consider whether our faith truly allows Christ to dwell in our hearts or whether we merely skim the surface of our belief. The call to be “rooted and established in love” speaks to an unshakable foundation—a profound love that grounds and sustains every aspect of our lives.

Paul describes the immeasurable dimensions of Christ’s love: its width, length, height, and depth. This imagery invites us to explore an infinite love that surpasses human understanding. It is a love that embraces us in our weaknesses, stays with us in our trials, and calls us to the fullness of God’s presence.

In this prayer, we are also reminded of the communal nature of faith. Paul envisions believers grasping the magnitude of Christ’s love “together with all the Lord’s holy people.” Faith is not meant to be a solitary journey but a shared experience where love is both received and given.

Ultimately, this passage points us to the fullness of God—a fullness that fills every empty corner of our being. Today, let us reflect on this boundless love, allowing it to strengthen and transform us, and let us extend that love to others, becoming vessels of God’s grace in the world.

Prayer:

            Heavenly Father, thank you for the apostle Paul. Thank you for his heart for the people he came in contact with. I can scarcely add a word to what he has said in this prayer that he prayed for the Ephesians. All I can hope to do is humbly confess that you are my God, and in you alone, I find strength for the day and hope for tomorrow. Let all creatures join together in praise for your Holy Name, Amen. 

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