Ephesians 3:7-21
Praying with Confidence

Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God's grace that was given me by the working of his power. Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him. I pray therefore that you may not lose heart over my sufferings for you; they are your glory.

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

New Revised Standard Version

As Paul dictated this letter to the church in Ephesus, he broke into prayer from the exuberance he felt over what God has done! A spontaneous prayer erupting like a geyser from our souls is a natural response to the goodness of God and the blessings we receive from God.

But we see where Paul had none of the normal reasons to be enthusiastic. He called himself "the very least of all the saints" as an honest confession of how aggressively he had pursued and killed Christians earlier in his life. He mentioned his sufferings at the time of his writing, which we know included being imprisoned, probably in Rome. Clearly, his joy and enthusiasm came not from earthly conditions, but from heavenly blessings.

That is why Paul prayed for heavenly blessings for these friends and fellow Christians he loved so much. He prayed for them with boldness, not because he was worthy of God's attention, but because God's love set aside every weakness and barrier that would block Paul's access to God. Nothing that Paul had done in his life stopped God's love for him, and nothing Paul failed to do or achieve weakened God's desire to have a relationship with him. The same is true for us, of course! No past rejection of God, no tepid tolerance of the good news, no open rebellion, none of the myriad ways we are unworthy causes God to reject us.

God's love goes far further than merely hearing our prayers. Paul prayed boldly for the impossible, as he asked God to give the Ephesian Christians knowledge of the Love that can't be comprehended, and to fill them with the infinite fullness of God. In case his readers doubted, he closed with an assurance that God would accomplish more than they could ask or imagine!

Paul captured for us how God confronts and conquers the impossible for us as we draw closer to God in prayer. Paul gave us every reason to pray with passion and enthusiasm, knowing that no matter our mood, our circumstances, and our failures, God will be working on us to empower us with the Spirit, build the faith in our hearts, and anchor us firmly with love.