Prayers::
What’s in a Name
Ephesians 3:14-22 Prayer for the Ephesians
14For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15from whom his whole family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen
In Ephesians chapter 3 Paul shares that the mystery of Christ that has been revealed to him and to us through the Holy Spirit through God’s Word.
We are heirs, one Holy Family who share together in the promise of God, which is eternal life, through Jesus Christ. God in his infinite wisdom has intended that we, the church, the body of Christ are to reveal the love and power of God to all of Creation.
The family of God includes all who claimed the name of Jesus in past, present and future. We his family are given his name.
What’s in a name?
The moment we choose to believe and follow Jesus we receive God’s love and his power here and now. His power and love is total and complete reaching every corner and dimension of creation. God’s love is wide covering the breadth of our life experience. God’s love is long extending from before creation through our lives into eternity. God’s love is high rising to the peak of our joys and God’s love is deep reaching to the depths of our sorrow and sufferings, despair and discouragement, even through death, raising us up to eternal life.
Paul’s’ prayer is that we draw nearer to God through Christ Jesus. By claiming our inheritance through the Holy Spirit we grab a hold of the love and power of God so that we may be filled to all fullness with his love. We have all the fullness and blessings of God available to us, but we must access that fullness through prayer in the context of being Holy Family in relationship to God and each other.
