Practice
I was praying this afternoon using the card I wrote about a couple of days ago (here it is, the picture was apparently unreadable). I was praying for my wife and I came to Ephesians 3:14 – 21. As I got to verse 19 I was almost unable to pray.
A New Perspective
I have studied Ephesians multiple times. I have translated the book from Greek to English. I have parts of it memorized. I use the content of the book pretty much all of the time. It is one of the core books for what I have been called to do. But, as far as I remember I have never prayed Ephesians 3:19 for anyone.
Stopped
As I began to pray through the content for my wife, the immensity of what Paul was praying overwhelmed me. Both phrases blew me away. I am going with a literal translation of the Greek here:
Stunned
I was stunned. I got through the prayer and then prayed that for myself. I will do that for others and did later. But the content, to know what is unknowable, to be filled with that which would overwhelm me, is almost – no that is not strong enough – it is incomprehensible that Paul prayed that.
Applied
But that is the assignment. It also aligns with Paul’s view of what we are to be as believers. He states it again in Colossians 1:21 – 29; 2:6 – 10. Begin to pray that for yourself and your kids. I am.
I was praying this afternoon using the card I wrote about a couple of days ago (here it is, the picture was apparently unreadable). I was praying for my wife and I came to Ephesians 3:14 – 21. As I got to verse 19 I was almost unable to pray.
I have studied Ephesians multiple times. I have translated the book from Greek to English. I have parts of it memorized. I use the content of the book pretty much all of the time. It is one of the core books for what I have been called to do. But, as far as I remember I have never prayed Ephesians 3:19 for anyone.
Stopped
As I began to pray through the content for my wife, the immensity of what Paul was praying overwhelmed me. Both phrases blew me away. I am going with a literal translation of the Greek here:
- To know the that which is beyond knowing love of Christ
- In order that (with the result that) you may be filled up into all the fullness of God.
Stunned
I was stunned. I got through the prayer and then prayed that for myself. I will do that for others and did later. But the content, to know what is unknowable, to be filled with that which would overwhelm me, is almost – no that is not strong enough – it is incomprehensible that Paul prayed that.
Applied
But that is the assignment. It also aligns with Paul’s view of what we are to be as believers. He states it again in Colossians 1:21 – 29; 2:6 – 10. Begin to pray that for yourself and your kids. I am.
I have not been overwhelmed many times in my life, but once on the National Mall during the big PK event in DC the 90's I found that I couldn't speak or sing and, though standing, was driven to my knees in the grass by the presence of the Holy Spirit. Frightening, but also incredibly peaceful and soothing. Like nothing else.
ReplyDelete...and as you pray, remember your grandkids, too. The way things are going they are going to need it even more than we do. What a spectacular heritage to leave them.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mike