That God will empower us through his Spirit to comprehend His love so that we may be filled with His fullness. Not that we love God more, but that we comprehend just how much God loves us.

1. Ephesians 3:14-21

2. What is Your prayer for the New Year?
• Health
• Wealth
• Success
• Friends
• Talent
• Travel
• Love
Do Your Prayers
include strength in
the Inner Man?

3. What should we ask for?
Paul’s prayer for the believers of Laodicea, and
my prayer for all of us:
That God will empower us through his Spirit to
comprehend His love so that we may be filled
with His fullness.
Not that we love God more, but that we
comprehend just how much God loves us.

4. God Has Blessed Us
because he loves us
• Blessed us in Christ with every spiritual
blessing in heavenly places.
• He chose us In Christ before the foundation of
the world.
• He predestined us for adoption as sons.
• He redeemed us and forgave us of our sins.
• He has made know to us the mystery of his
will.

5. • He sealed us with the Holy Spirit who is the
guarantee of our inheritance.
• He delivered us from the prince of the power
of the air and the lust of our flesh.
• We were dead. He made us alive together
with Christ.
• He has seated us with Christ in heavenly
places.
• He saved us by His grace, it is a gift.
• As Gentiles we were far off, but God brought
us near through Christ.

6. • He has made us partners with the Jews in the
promises yet to come.
• Christ has been made our peace.
• He has made Jew and Gentile one man in
Christ.
• He is building us into a temple.
In the first three chapters of Ephesians it is
about what God, through his love toward us, has
done for us through Christ. It’s not about what
we do, but about what He has done.

7. Ephesians 3:14–21 (ESV)
14 For this reason I bow my knees before the
Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and
on earth is named, 16 that according to the
riches of his glory he may grant you to be
strengthened with power through his Spirit in
your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in
your hearts through faith—that you, being
rooted and grounded in love,

8. 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the
saints what is the breadth and length and height
and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that
surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled
with all the fullness of God. 20 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, 21 to him be glory in the church and in
Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever
and ever. Amen.

9. 14 For this reason I bow my
knees before the Father,
15 from whom every family
in heaven and on earth is
named,
Reverence: Who He is, what he’s done
• Bowing the Knees -
homage, acknowledging
sovereignty.
• Father πατέρα, family
πατριὰ
• Naming implies that
God has an interest in
and has authority over.

10. Power in the Inner Man
16 that according to the
riches of his glory he may
grant you to be
strengthened with power
through his Spirit in your
inner being,
• Resource of power-
“riches of his glory”
unlimited radiance ,
splendor, perfection of
his character, attributes
and ability.
• Empower us through
his Spirit in our inner
man.

11. Rooted in God’s Love
17 so that Christ may dwell in
your hearts through faith—
that you, being rooted and
grounded in love,
• “that Christ may dwell in
your hearts” not a
purpose clause, but runs
parallel to the works of
the Spirit’s
empowerment.
• As faith increases Christ
becomes more central to
ones personality,
thoughts, will, emotions,
• Rooted (botanical),
grounded (architectural).
• God’s love is the soil.

12. Comprehend the magnitude of the
love of God and Christ
18 may have strength to
comprehend with all the
saints what is the breadth
and length and height and
depth, 19 and to know the
love of Christ that
surpasses knowledge,
• “Strength” – divine
enablement.
• Comprehended only by
divine enablement
through the Spirit.
– Its expanse is greater
than the senses can take
us.
– This Love surpasses
knowledge.

13. Paul is not asking us to love Christ more.
He’s praying that God will strengthen our
inward being to enable us to comprehend
the immensity of God’s love for us in
Christ.
Result:

14. Filled with God’s fullness
that you may be filled with
all the fullness of God.
When we comprehend His
Love we will be
“filled with all the fullness of
God”.
God in all his perfection,
including his presence, life,
and power.
Resource: “riches of his
glory” - radiance , splendor,
perfection of his character,
attributes, power

15. This Power is already at work
20 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,
• God can do far more in
us than we can imagine,
think or ask.
• His power is already at
work in us.

16. Starts with His glory,
Ends with His glory
21 to him be glory in the
church and in Christ Jesus
throughout all
generations, forever and
ever. Amen.
His glory (radiance ,
splendor, perfection of his
character, attributes,
power) is on display in us
(church - community of
believers) and in Christ in
every generation, forever.