As we continue through our 4 Year-Changing Prayers series, we’re once again looking at a prayer that Paul prayed over the church in Ephesus. In his letter to the Ephesians, he prays that they experience a full, satisfying life in Christ. This prayer is incredibly relevant today as it seems so easy to feel “stuck” in a life that is neither full nor satisfying.
Read Ephesians 3.16–19.
In this prayer, Paul lays out two steps—two things to pray towards—that will lead to fullness in Christ, which translates to fullness in life.
1. Praying for Christ’s power.
Read Ephesians 3.16.
Christ’s power is His triumph over death and sin, over all things natural and supernatural. When we are followers of Jesus and Christ lives in us, we have access to this same power. When we have Christ’s power, we don’t have to wonder what happens at the end of our story; we know exactly where the victory lies. Christ’s power in us means that, even in the midst of all the opposition that life throws at us and the spiritual battles we find ourselves in, we know that we have access to the power that overcomes it all. We need Christ’s power for a full life because when we overcome, we experience fullness.
Accessing this power first starts with saying “yes” to the work of the Holy Spirit. It means making room for Him to come in and surrendering our whole lives—our plans, our dreams, and our hopes—to God’s will for our lives.
2. Praying for God’s love.
Read Ephesians 3.17–19.
God’s love is meant to be experienced deeply by His people. It’s meant to change us. Power can’t produce a full life on its own; it needs to be coupled with love. It’s only in God’s love that His power is realized.
Even as longtime followers of Jesus, it can be difficult to continuously feel and experience God’s love in new ways. In those times, we can make time to enjoy God’s presence (without the pressure of thinking our quiet times need to result in big revelations or solutions) and be intentional about loving God’s people. When we extend God’s love to others, we actually feel more and more of His love in our lives. When the power in our lives comes from an experience or encounter with God’s love, we come alive.
Discussion Questions
- How have you seen Christ’s power and God’s love at work in your life in the past year?
- What opposition are you currently facing that you need God’s power to overcome?
- What do you need to let go of in order to experience more of God’s transformative power in your life?
- How are you loving God’s people? What can you do to be more intentional about this?
- During your time with God, are you making space to simply enjoy His presence? This week, make it a point to simply be with God and enjoy Him.
- If you are brutally honest with yourself, do you think that you are living a full life right now? If not, how can you take steps to experience more of God’s power and love in your life?
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