Ephesians 3:14a (NIV84) “For this reason I kneel before the Father…”
Last Thursday, my wife (Mary) and I put our 20+ year-old furniture on the driveway with “FREE” signs attached. We then held hands and prayed, “Lord, have someone take these before the day is over.” Four hours later, a neighbor a few doors down claimed the well-worn couches for her daughter. Soon after, Mary and I held hands (again) and thanked the God who answers prayers!
In my recent message, we looked at an extraordinary prayer of Paul. His prayer isn’t a casual, “God bless this food” kind of prayer. On the contrary, it’s deep, bold, passionate, and full of purpose. Paul doesn’t just pray that we’d know about God’s love. Instead, he prays that we’d have the power to actually grasp it, deep in our hearts and lives. In fact, this passage has been called one of the most majestic prayers in the entire Bible. Without a doubt, I believe it!
Life-changing Keys To Prayer
- Posture of Prayer — Paul kneels before the Father. That posture isn’t just physical; it reveals a humble heart, one that is fully surrendered. Prayer starts with recognizing who we’re talking to. He’s a loving Father who calls us by name and also gives us our identity.
- Provision of Prayer — Paul reminds us that God isn’t short on resources. He gives according to His glorious riches. That means He gives lavishly, not reluctantly. Do you believe God can meet your needs? He certainly can. Equally important, He delights in doing so.
- Power of Prayer — Paul prays we’d be strengthened in our “inner being” by the Holy Spirit. This isn’t about trying harder or thinking positively. Instead, it’s about being filled with God’s power. It enables us to understand the limitless love of Christ.
Church family, that’s the kind of God we serve! A God who gives beyond measure. But here’s the catch. In order to be filled with all the fullness of God, we must first empty ourselves. With this in mind, we need to get rid of pride, fear, distractions, and self-reliance. Only then can we truly receive all that He wants to pour into our lives.
Simply put, let’s be a people who pray big prayers. Those people who root themselves in love. Who trust in His provision as well as lean into His power. Because once we truly grasp God’s love, it forever changes everything.
Praying Big,
Posted in A Word from the Pastor