Climbing Toward Fullness

As we’ve studied Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3 this week we’ve borrowed an analogy from John Stott…he saw prayer as climbing a ladder to God. The first rung was power, the second was residence, and the third was knowledge. Finally, we come to the fourth rung of the ladder and on it we find fullness. This is the highest and most audacious rung,

“that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

Wow! Not just filled, but filled with the fullness of God. The word speaks of something that is full to the point of overflowing—it speaks of dominance. When you are full of something you’ll be dominated by it. To be full of God is to be emptied of self and to be dominated with love for Him and that is shown in our obedience. Pray for God to fill you, but not just fill you—to fill you with very fullness of what fills Him! Here we find Paul with an eye toward the end of days when we will be with Him forever.

MacArthur tells the story of J Wilbur Chapman who said he got off the Pennsylvania depot as a beggar. He said for a year I begged on the streets for a living. One day he touched a man and said, “Hey mister, can you give me a dime?” When the man turned around it was his father. He said, “Father, Father, do you know me?” Throwing his arms around his son he said, “Son, at last I’ve found you! I’ve found you. You want a dime? Everything I have is yours.” He was a beggar looking for a dime from his own father when for 18 years his father had been looking to give him all he had!

Don’t settle for anything short of the fullness of God! Start by praying that you’ll have the power in your inner man, then ask him to take up residence in you—invite him to remove what isn’t pleasing to Him so He will be at home, and then ask Him to help you comprehend just how much He loves you and then you’ll be ready to ask Him to fill you with His fullness. Pray this for yourself, for your children, for your parents, and for anyone else…