Big prayers

I'm in the middle of Ephesians 3 today as I prepare for my next class in the book of Ephesians. This is the end of the doctrine of the book and Paul concludes with an amazing (I know, I use that word a lot) prayer. I think Paul wrote down some of the best prayers ever prayed by anyone. I wish I could have heard him pray out loud. What must that have been like? How did his prayer life change as he grew in faith? I think this prayer tells us a lot about what he knew about God.

In this prayer, at the end of chapter 3, Paul begins with these words, "I bow my knees before the Father," This is not the usual posture of prayer for a Jew. They prayed standing, so to kneel is a sign of worship, of submission, of humility, it's an obvious surrender to the Lord. What a beautiful picture this paints. I can imagine Paul, on his knees, praying for the church he had invested so much in. He knew that without God's work in their midst all his efforts were in vain. He surrendered to God's ability to take care of them and then he tells them what he's been praying. Paul prays that these believers would understand God's love for them. It's a big prayer, it would take a big God to answer it, the answer would change any believer's life.

Imagine, if you can, how different your life would be if you really knew how much God loves you, if you really understood it? That's Paul's big prayer- that these believers would really know how much God loves them. This is his concluding prayer after three chapters of doctrine...."I pray you will know how much God loves you." He could have prayed for anything for them and he prays for them to know the love of God? It's clear Paul knew something we don't. He knew the love of God personally and it had changed his life. I wonder, if we prayed this prayer for each other, what a difference it would make in our lives? I think I'll try it....