Bible Reading
Ephesians 3:14–21 “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. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
[00:50] [19:18]Ephesians 1:1–2:22 “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called ‘the uncircumcision’ by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”
[01:01] [01:11]Hebrews 4:16 “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
[20:37]Observation questions
- In Ephesians 3:14–15, what does Paul do before the Father, and what does he say the Father does for every family in heaven and on earth? [06:11]
- What does Paul specifically ask God to give believers in their inner being, and through whom does that strength come?
- What two pictures does Paul use in Ephesians 3:17 to describe a life established in God’s love: a plant and a building? [10:46]
- According to Ephesians 3:18, with whom are believers meant to comprehend the breadth, length, height, and depth of Christ’s love? [12:30]
Interpretation questions
- Paul begins this prayer with “for this reason,” pointing back to the gospel in Ephesians 1–2. How do being saved by grace, brought near by Christ, and made part of God’s household shape the way a believer comes to God in prayer? [01:01]
- Paul prays for power through the Spirit, but he connects that power to being rooted and grounded in love. Why might a weak grasp of God’s love leave a person spiritually fragile, even if that person is trying hard to do the right things? [10:46]
- Paul says Christ’s love “surpasses knowledge,” yet he prays that believers would know it. What kind of knowing does Paul seem to mean—simply collecting information, or personally receiving and living in Christ’s love? [15:49]
- Hebrews 4:16 calls believers to come confidently to the throne of grace for mercy and help. How is confident prayer different from treating God like a genie, making a bargain with him, or demanding a certain outcome? [23:25]
Application questions
- Prayer is an ongoing relationship with the Father, not a performance to be graded. Where do guilt, comparison, or fear of “not praying well enough” tend to hold you back? What would it look like to speak honestly with God this week? [05:31]
- Bowing low and holding open hands can express surrender to God. Is there an area of your life where you have been holding tightly to control—your future, finances, health, relationships, or plans? How could you bring that area before God with open hands? [08:53]
- God’s name over his children is better than old labels, accusations, failures, or identities. What old name or label do you most need to stop carrying, and what does it mean for your identity to be found in Christ instead? [08:13]
- Christ’s love is meant to be understood “with all the saints.” In what ways have you been tempted to pull away from Christian community? What is one tangible way you can move toward God’s family, even though church relationships can be messy? [14:43]
- Think about the four kinds of everyday prayer: waking prayers, whispering prayers, waiting prayers, and waning prayers. Which one most fits your present season, and when could you make space to bring that prayer to God this week? [26:36]
- God is able to do far more than believers ask or imagine. What is one prayer that feels too big, too risky, or too impossible to pray? What would it look like to ask boldly while also trusting God with the answer? [25:33]
