Pastor Jared teaches the importance of seeking spiritual strength through prayer, as Paul prays for the Ephesian church to understand the basic truths of Christianity and the love of Christ. He emphasizes the need for believers to rely on God’s power and to continually seek a deeper understanding of His love through prayer.
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Pastor Jared Hacking
Excerpt from “A Prayer for Spiritual Strength and Love”
Video Transcript:
And I think this is what Paul’s getting at, right? This is not simply the answer. head knowledge to understand. This will take spiritual strength that only God can bring through faithful prayer and the working of His Holy Spirit. It’s the only way to accomplish this. It’s a spiritual strength that God gives us when we go before Him humbly in prayer.
My next question is why, right? Why is Paul praying for this? We understand what he’s praying, but why is he praying for this, right? These were already Christians. He’s writing to the Ephesian church. He says that really clearly in the beginning. He says to those who are faithful in Christ Jesus, right?
They’re already Christians. I mean the two basic principles of Christianity, you learn this when you’re like five years old, is what? God loves me and Jesus lives in my heart, right? It’s like the two simple things, right? But Paul’s saying that you’d have spiritual strength to understand that Christ dwells in your heart, Jesus lives in my heart, right?
And that you’d understand his love for him, right? These are the basics of Christianity, but Paul’s again reminding them of it. And I think it’s so important because I, I think right where we are in the book here, it’s the transitional passage, right? Chapters 4 through 6 is all about our walk in Christ.
How we walk it out, right? Putting our best foot forward. I guess I wouldn’t do that too well right now, but, right? But he wants them to make sure they know. Right? Before you walk it out, I want you to know, you know, chapters one through three is all about the riches, the glory we have in Christ, that we’ve been loved, chosen, accepted, redeemed, purchased by His precious blood, empowered by His Spirit, sealed as with a deposit.
And now we get to the end of chapter three and he says, guys, I just want you to know this before we get to chapters four through six, and he’s going to, he’s going to go after him chapters four through six. He’s like, don’t do this, do this, don’t do that, do this instead. It’s almost like he’s saying, if you’ve forgotten everything I’ve said to this point, remember this.
That Christ, you need strength to know that Christ dwells in your heart and strength to understand His love for you. Right? We, we can never come to, as Christians, there’s never a point of arrival and, and, and arrival of knowing Christ and, and His love for you. Right? You can never come to a point and say, yeah, I think I made it.
I know all I can about God’s love for me. I’ve experienced the very fullness of knowing his love. The fullness of God and his loving goodness is like a never ending pool that you can continue to weigh deeper and deeper and deeper in. But sadly, most of us are just comfortable putting our toes in.
Most of us haven’t even gone in the pool. We’re just like, that’s enough.
And I believe Paul is praying this prayer because we all need this reminder as Christians. Just because it’s the basic truths of the gospel doesn’t mean we should forget it. Like I said, this is a transitional passage into the next section. So it’s so important Paul’s saying, please remember this.
Remember this. That’s why he’s praying that they would remember. So how do we get this spiritual strength? Verses 20 through 21 says this now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think according to the power at work within us. To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all the generations forever and ever.
Amen. Paul describes this love as a surpassing knowledge. Well, how are we supposed to achieve this spiritual strength? If it surpasses knowledge, Paul, right? How are we supposed to understand this? Well, we serve a God that does the indescribable and the impossible, right? To Him who is able to do far more abundantly, right?
And you’ve probably heard this verse many times. You’ve probably seen it on a t shirt. It’s a great t shirt verse, all right? And used in a variety of different ways. And I think, yes, it’s true that God across the board can do far more than we could ever imagine. But in this context, it’s just such an incredible, it’s so beautiful to read Scripture in context, because it just continues to unlock the meaning for us.
Right, Paul, in this context here is referring to the wonderful prayer he just prayed to the Ephesians church, right? That they could have the strength to understand that Christ dwells in their heart. love for them. So how do we get this spiritual strength? We bow our knees before our Father in Heaven and we ask Him for it, knowing He is the God who does far more abundantly than all that we could ask, think, or imagine.
And according to what power? Not the power we bring or the strength we bring, but the power that is at work within us. If you are a believer of Jesus Christ, you have the Holy Spirit in you working God’s mighty power on your behalf. It’s a pretty incredible thing. So Paul’s saying we must pray and ask God that He would work this in our hearts.
This has to be a supernatural thing that only He could do. you It’s not something that you can work at or, or, or really try really hard or muster up the strength to do on your own. This is a super natural spiritual thing that only God can do. Can give you the strength to understand. This can only happen through prayer.
We can’t do, there’s not enough scripture you can memorize. There’s not enough, church attendance that you could have. Or service that you could do. But Paul’s saying, you bow your knees before the Father. And you ask Him, would you reveal yourself to me again like you did? Would you draw me closer?
Would you push me in the pool if I need a push?