Another Prayer in Ephesians 3:14-19

Ephesians 3:14-19 (NASB)
¹⁴ For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, ¹⁶ that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, ¹⁷ so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, ¹⁹ and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.




The immediate context of this prayer seemed to suggest that the believers would not lose heart at Paul's tribulation (v13). So for this reason, he prayed that: God would grant them strength by the power of God's Spirit in the inner man. It could be that tribulations could distract and disrupt or even distance us from God Himself. Therefore the prayer of such was necessary so that Christ may dwell in the believers' hearts and that they would be rooted and grounded in love (v17). The prayer was necessary so that the believers would understand the amazing love of Christ that surpasses knowledge and reasoning (v18-19). Finally, the prayer was necessary so that the believers may be filled up to all the fullness of God (v19)

While we looked at this prayer and also the larger context of which Paul prayed, we could also say that this prayer to experience God's love could be in line with the theme of unity. Paul said that Christ has put the Jews and the Gentiles together (Eph 2) and the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus (Eph 3:6). It is amazing to think God's love can be extended in such way, therefore pray that you will be able to comprehend the love of Christ (v18-19). It is beyond knowledge and reasoning.

Therefore, we pray this prayer for ourselves and others so that they can have the strength from the Holy Spirit to be rooted in Christ and His wonderful love. We pray that one will be able to experience that love in a tremendous measure and that one will be filled up to the fullness of God.