Who Do You Think You Are? You Are Filled Ephesians 3:14-21

And a good way to say all of this is, God doesn't merely answer prayers. He exceeds them beyond what we could even possibly conceive ourselves. That power, that unbelievable power is already working in the believer. Again, notice the language. According to the power of work within us. Paul was referring to the same divine power that he used over in Ephesians chapter number one that raised Christ from the dead. That power that raised Christ from the dead. That is at work in you, through you, and for you. So when I say there is more, there is much much more. [01:08:35] (69 seconds)

But when we understand this in the context of prayer, something I read this past week really stood out and really stuck with me. One pastor speaking about prayer made this statement. He said, if you want to know how to pray better, And let's be honest, there are times whenever I will pray and after I am done praying, I kinda just think to myself, man, that prayer really stunk. Like that that that just wasn't a good prayer. That that just wasn't like, man, I didn't really kinda bring my a game to that prayer, but but this pastor made the statement. He said, if you want to know how to pray better, don't study prayer. Don't don't read about prayer. He said this, look at how children relate to a good dad. Look at how they talk to their dad if they have a good dad. Look at how they are around their dad if they have a good dad. Look at the conversations that they have with their dad if they have a good dad. In other words, study and look at and notice the way healthy children relate to their healthy father. [00:52:13] (70 seconds)

Oftentimes, that's kind of the mentality that we have with Christ. I got him. He he dwells in my heart. My body is the temple of the holy spirit. That's great. That's good. That's wonderful. Amen. But Paul is saying, I want Christ to be at home and comfortable in every room, in every closet, beneath every bed in your heart. Not just the places he's gonna be, not just the area he's going to see. I want him at home everywhere. It won't be on the screen but I love the language used there in the New Testament where where the Bible says, whether therefore you eat or drink or whatsoever you do, Do it all to the glory of god. [01:03:05] (66 seconds)

Paul is saying, I bow my knees. Now, oftentimes, we might kneel in prayer. I do that on occasion. Most of the time, I don't but often times we might kneel in prayer. That might be kind of part of our prayer posture but but rather than prescribing a posture for prayer, when Paul says, I bend the knee or I kneel before the father, he is speaking in terms of complete submission. Whatever whatever the father says, I'm going to bend the knee to. I'm going to submit myself over to that. I'm going to defer to the father because he is the father. I am the son. He has authority. He has rule. He has dominion. That's what Paul is talking about there. [00:51:23] (39 seconds)

Now, here's something you need to understand about this because again, this is a prayer. This is Paul saying, hey, here's what I said to god about you, okay? It's a prayer. Paul is not talking about initial salvation. Alright? The word for dwell means to settle down, to make a home. And now listen to this. [01:00:14] (25 seconds)

I am dead man walking, crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live. It is Christ who lives in me. There is a father. There is an indwelling and finally, there is more. So, I'll be honest with you. Okay? [01:04:46] (25 seconds)

Full disclosure this morning, I almost centered today's sermon on the subject of prayer because this is a prayer that Paul is praying for the Ephesian believers. This is him basically saying to them, hey, here are the things I talked to God about you regarding. These are the things that I prayed for you. So this morning, what we're going to do rather than kind of like look at the prayer itself, what we're going to do is just kind of explore what it looks like when that prayer is answered. [00:49:17] (38 seconds)

But there is a father far above and far better than anything the best dads among us could ever offer. And Paul says, for this reason, and an interesting note, that is the second time in this chapter he has used that language. He rattles off all this stuff that God does. He rattles off all this stuff that Christ has done. He rattles off all these blessings that are ours through Christ and then he just says, for this reason, [00:56:28] (33 seconds)