Ephesians 3:14-21 has this header in many Bibles: "A Prayer for the Ephesians"
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now 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, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
1 Corinthians 14:18-28 (find this or any other passages at www.Biblegateway.org)
We studied this passage in our Tuesday afternoon Lenten study this week. It made me think of you.
Yes, you.
Paul wrote this letter to the church community in Ephesus, where he had lived at one time, for about three years. So he actually knew many of the people who would read his letter, and many more he did not. I am not comparing myself to the Apostle Paul...but in the writing of this 'letter', our circumstances share this similarity. Many of you are from places I have lived, South Jersey, Virginia, both Carolinas, Delaware, Oklahoma, with dashes of other places thrown in as well. Many of you I know...but through the wonder of the internet, most of you who read this I do not know.
To all of you I offer this today, inspired by Paul: "I kneel before the Father..." for you this morning. I prayed for you. I went into the Upper Room (actually a Sunday School classroom upstairs from my office) and prayed for you.
I prayed for those of you in my local church. I prayed for those of you those of you in the Christian family of the greater Dover area. I prayed for those of you those of you in churches my family has attended in other parts of the country. I prayed for those of you in the First Church of Facebook. I prayed for those of you I went to high school or college with. I prayed for those of you who have been my neighbors. I prayed for those of you I have never met.
But it is not about anything Paul ever did or anything I have ever done. It is about "the Father" whom we kneel before. It is about"His Spirit in your inner being". And it is about "Christ", who will "dwell in your hearts".
We will study this passage over the next few days, and I am making a covenant, on each of those days to kneel before the Father and pray.
For you.
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Questions:
1. Has anyone prayed for you today
2. For whom have you prayed today?
3. Will you pick one person, out of your normal circle, and pray for them every day during this study?
AN INVITATION!
Come join the First Church of Facebook (no, this isn't a joke!)
Go here: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=63164484154
INTERESTING THOUGHTS:
"Do not have your concert first,
and then tune your instrument afterwards.
Begin the day with the Word of God and prayer,
and get first of all into harmony with Him."
I have seen many men work without praying,
though I have never seen any good come out of it;
but I have never seen a man pray without working."
Hudson Taylor
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