Ephesians - Part 6

 

     This message was preached at Word Of Grace Church on 2ns August 2026, by Andrew. For the audio , please click here.  For the worship, please click here.  

A Prayer That Changes Us from the Inside Out

Lessons from Ephesians 3:14–21

When we think about prayer, our minds often go to asking God for help—healing, provision, guidance, or solutions to life's challenges. While these are good and necessary prayers, the Apostle Paul gives us a glimpse into something even deeper in Ephesians 3:14–21.

His prayer isn't primarily about changing circumstances. It's about God transforming people.

A Prayer Rooted in the Gospel

Paul begins by saying,

"For this reason I kneel before the Father..."

What is "this reason"?

It's everything Paul has been building up throughout the first three chapters of Ephesians. Through Jesus' death and resurrection, those who were once far from God have been brought near. Jews and Gentiles have become one family. The same resurrection power that raised Christ from the dead is now at work bringing people into God's family.

Our confidence in prayer doesn't come from using the right words or having a particular style of praying. It comes from knowing who our Father is—a loving Father who knows what's best, hears His children, corrects them wisely, and provides generously.

Paul's First Request: Strength for the Inner Person

Paul's first petition is surprising:

"I pray that... He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being."

Why does Paul pray for power?

Not for influence.
Not for recognition.
Not even for miraculous abilities.

The purpose is much greater:

"...so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith."

The greatest display of God's power is not simply changing our external circumstances but transforming our hearts.

Strength That Doesn't Fade

Our physical bodies grow weaker with time. No matter how fit or healthy we are today, our bodies have limits.

But Paul reminds us that our inner being can continually grow stronger.

The Holy Spirit renews us day by day, producing a faith that matures regardless of age or circumstance.

Perhaps our prayers should increasingly sound like this:

"Lord, strengthen me inwardly so I remain faithful, whatever happens around me."

Rooted in a Love Beyond Understanding

Paul then moves to his second prayer:

"...that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power... to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ."

This raises another question:

Why do we need God's power just to understand His love?

Because God's love is not merely an idea to study.

It is a reality to experience.

Knowledge alone cannot heal deep wounds. Only God's love revealed by the Holy Spirit can restore what years of pain have broken.

Many people carry invisible scars from rejection, loss, disappointment, or broken relationships. The Father's love reaches places that human words cannot.

His love doesn't simply inform us.

It transforms us.

Knowledge and Experience Go Together

Christian maturity isn't built on emotional experiences alone.

Neither is it built on knowledge alone.

Paul points us toward both.

We need to know God's Word.

We also need to encounter the God of the Word.

As we grow in both truth and relationship, we become spiritually mature—stable, loving, generous, united, and resilient believers who reflect Christ.

A Bigger View of God

Paul concludes with one of the Bible's most powerful declarations:

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine..."

How often do we limit God with our expectations?

Sometimes unanswered prayers tempt us to believe that God isn't powerful enough—or perhaps not generous enough.

Paul reminds us that neither is true.

God's resources are limitless.

His wisdom is perfect.

His power has already been demonstrated through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The same power is still at work today.

Let Christ Make Himself at Home

One beautiful picture helps us understand Paul's prayer.

Imagine buying an old house that needs renovation. The walls need painting, the flooring needs replacing, and every room requires attention.

Before moving in, everything is slowly restored.

That's exactly what Christ does when He dwells in us.

He doesn't merely visit.

He takes up residence.

Room by room, He transforms our lives.

Over time, what once looked broken begins to resemble the character of Christ.

Spiritual growth is often gradual, but it is real.

The longer Christ dwells within us, the more our lives reflect Him.

A Prayer Worth Praying

Paul's prayer challenges us to pray differently.

Yes, we can continue bringing our needs before God.

But alongside those requests, may we also pray:

• Lord, strengthen my inner being.
• Let Christ dwell fully in my heart.
• Help me experience the immeasurable depth of Your love.
• Make me spiritually mature.
• Shape me to look more like Jesus.
• May my life bring glory to You.

Ultimately, Paul's prayer isn't centered on our comfort.

It's centered on God's glory.

And when God transforms us from the inside out, His glory shines through His people and His Church for generations to come.

 Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English-speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service.  Word of Grace is part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org.