Ephesians
“Far More”
Ephesians 3:14-21

“…far more…”

Ephesians 3:14-20

Paul prays
1. On his knees - v. 14

When we repent of our sins, we appeal to the Lord for His mercy and forgiveness. Kneeling before the Lord is a symbol of the heart attitude we should have to make such a petition. It reflects the beatitude of mourning over sin and expresses the following attitudes:

• It acknowledges the Lordship of Jesus Christ. 
Kneeling before God provides a visual image of submission to His authority. One day every knee will bow before God, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord to the glory of God. (See Philippians 2:9–11.)

• It is a sign of earnest appeal. 
King Solomon knelt when he asked God to bless the Temple and the people of God. (See I Kings 8:54.) Elijah knelt in earnest prayer when he asked the Lord to send rain to end Israel’s drought. (See I Kings 18:41–46.)

• It is a sign of personal humility. 
The psalmist humbled himself before the Lord and encouraged others to do the same: 
“O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker” –Psalm 95:6

2. As a model for us to pray for ourselves and each other - v. 15

3. So we can live rightly with the many ethical demands we face - ch. 4-6

Pray … 
For God to strengthen our lives with His power  - v. 16
		
“grant” = Able and willing
“inner being” = Being spiritually renewed

God loves the weak
God’s supernatural power is a foundational part of the Christian life 

Pray …
For Christ to reign in every area of life - v. 17a

“dwell” = Fill, settle, always present

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” –1 Corinthians 6:19-20

“Who would think of setting up idols in God’s holy temple?” –2 Corinthians 6:16 

Pray …
For God to show us the extent of His love - v. 17b-19

Two metaphors:
“Rooted” - Isaiah 40:24; Matthew 13:6, Mark 4:6, Luke 8:13
“Grounded” - 1 Kings 7:10, Matthew 7:24-27

“Comprehend” = Capture (Joshua 8 & 10)

Four dimensions of love:
Breadth = Freedom of it
Length = Frequency of it
Height = Force of it
Depth = Finesse of it 

Oxymoron: Pray to know the love of Jesus that you can’t know!
• Better than you think
• Covers more than you can imagine 
• Proves God is real to you
• Motivates you to love in ways you can’t without Him

God’s love is a bedrock of well-being for followers of Jesus.

“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.” –Ephesians 3:20-21