Ephesians 3: 14-21
For this reason
The reason is that God took the dregs of creation and made us into the very pinnacle of His program, as we discussed yesterday.
I bow my knees before the Father,
from whom every family in Heaven and on Earth derives its name,
Every being, angelic or human, exists because the Father thought us up and made us. So He deserves our adulation at bended knee.
that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory,
The riches of His glory, not stingy or limited.
to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,
That His power would make us strong, in our spirit and soul and mind and heart.
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;
That our daily living would be Christ living inside us, because we believe Him.
and that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
The roots that stabilize us, as though we are planted, in the ground of love, God's Love:
may be able to comprehend with all the saints
That all of us, God's saints, might be able to understand.
what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
and to know the Love of Christ which surpasses knowledge,
How big it really is, in every direction, this Love that God Loves us with; shown to us by Christ Jesus, that goes way beyond anything our little brains can know.
that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.
God wants to fill us up with Himself! How can that be? How could God fill us up with Himself without bursting our flesh? This is incredible!
Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think,
God wants to do so much more for us than anything we could ever ask Him for, or even think of or imagine! He wants to give us stuff that only He could design and plan, to carry out His program for each of us.
according to the power that works within us,
The power to do all this that we can't even imagine, is already inside us! God's Holy Spirit is the Life that gives us life, and He is working in us already, even while we still are on this Earth.
to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.
God the Father will receive all the glory for all He has done in the church, the body, and in Christ Jesus, the Head, throughout all eternity future!
Oh my Father, You want us to understand that Your Love for us is so much more than we will ever be able to comprehend with our tiny brains! So we just have to believe it. We are to put our faith into You and Your Son to have Loved us so much that You have taken care of all our needs for us, that we could never do.
That Your mercy and Your grace is our redemption out of the slave-market of sin, into the glorious freedom of being members of Your own family! You have taken us from the bottom to the top in Your program.
From being filthy enemies, to being honored members of the Royal Family!
O Father, please help us to grow into being the siblings of Your Son. Show us how to live as Your children, members of Your royal family, living out the character of Christ.
Father, I know that I have far to go to learn this, but I also know that You have been working with me and on me and in me to learn these traits. And that You have also worked through me on occasion to draw others into relationship with You.
Keep me on Your path that You have set my feet upon; I place my hand into Yours, so that I will not veer off to the right or to the left, or slip into a ditch, or wander off, or lag behind or run ahead of You.
Your timing is perfect, and I want to align my thinking processes with Your thoughts for me, so that I will follow You closely and do what You have made me to do for You.
Father, grant me good success in the endeavors You have set before me to accomplish. May my efforts result in the growth of many of Your children, and the drawing of many more into Your family.
My Father, You have given me Your power: let me not squander it.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
