THAT CHRIST MAY DWELL IN YOUR HEARTS

Passage: Ephesians 3:14-21

Key verse: 17

NIV

A Prayer for the Ephesians

14 For this reason I kneel(A) before the Father, 15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches(B) he may strengthen you with power(C) through his Spirit in your inner being,(D) 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts(E) through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted(F) and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people,(G) to grasp how wide and long and high and deep(H) is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge(I)—that you may be filled(J) to the measure of all the fullness of God.(K)

20 Now to him who is able(L) to do immeasurably more than all we ask(M) or imagine, according to his power(N) that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.(O)

Read full chapter
Footnotes
  1. Ephesians 3:15 The Greek for family (patria) is derived from the Greek for father (pater).
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Prayer for Spiritual Strength

14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom (A)every family[a] in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to (B)the riches of his glory (C)he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit (D)in your inner being, 17 (E)so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being (F)rooted and (G)grounded in love, 18 may have strength to (H)comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and (I)height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ (J)that surpasses knowledge, that (K)you may be filled with all (L)the fullness of God.

20 (M)Now to (N)him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, (O)according to the power at work within us, 21 (P)to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Read full chapter
Footnotes
  1. Ephesians 3:15 Or from whom all fatherhood; the Greek word patria in verse 15 is closely related to the word for Father in verse 14
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

Paul concludes the first half of his letter with a prayer for the Ephesians. He has described over and over their glorious spiritual riches. Now he kneels down in prayer before the Father to ask that he may strengthen them with power through the Holy Spirit in their being so that Christ may dwell in their hearts by faith. This should also be our most sincere prayer for those we minister to and pray for, including ourselves.

Next, he prays for them that being rooted and established in God’s love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s people, to grasp how wide, long, high, and deep is the love of Christ. We are so loved. We need to hold onto this absolutely in our hearts no matter what happens. When we hold onto Jesus’ love, his love surpasses knowledge and fills us with the full measure of God. When we believe Jesus’ love and trust his love, it feels like dying. But then we truly experience the depths of his love and grow in the fullness of God.

In his prayer, Paul affirms that God is able to do far more than we ask or imagine, according to his power at work within us. To him be the glory!

Prayer: Father, thank you for sending Christ to dwell in my heart. Help me to have your surpassing love and grow in the fullness of God.

One Word: Christ may dwell in our hearts