The Prayer Rung of Comprehension
As we consider Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3, I’m borrowing John Stott’s idea of this being like a staircase, but I’m using the image of a ladder instead. The first rung was power in verse 16, the second rung is residence in the first part of verse 17, but today we come to the third rung…the rung of COMPREHENSION. I find this incredible helpful as I pray for myself and for others…especially for those who are lost.
The ESV says, “that you, being rooted and grounded in love may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breath and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge…”
Paul is praying that they will comprehend God’s great love for them. Not just that they will love God, but that they will know just how much God loves them.
He wants them rooted and grounded—here we find agricultural and architectural terms—rooted—the roots of our life deep in the soil of God’s love and grounded—the building of our life firm on the foundation of God’s love. How do we get there?
Focus on the extent of God’s love—how wide is it? It is wide enough to encompass all mankind. Anyone who will call upon Him will be saved. How long is it? It is long enough to last for an eternity. How deep is the love of God? It is deep enough to reach down to the most depraved of sinners—to reach down to those of us who were or are dead in our sin. How high is it? It is high enough to exalt itself all the way into Heaven.
The love of Christ is best seen on the Cross. Go to the cross and meditate upon it, reflect upon it, and know just how much God loves you. The early church fathers said the description of Paul points us to the cross—the height and depth represented by the vertical bar of the cross and the width and length represented by the horizontal beam. Pray that others will comprehend just how much God loves them.
And then he says, “And to know the love of Christ that surpassed knowledge.” How can we know something that surpasses knowledge. We will never get to the bottom of it, but that doesn’t mean we cannot know something about it.
Pray for the power of God to move in you so that you can understand the love of God, but what a prayer for those who are lost! Pray for their eyes to be opened to the love of Jesus as expressed for them on the cross!
The ESV says, “that you, being rooted and grounded in love may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breath and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge…”
Paul is praying that they will comprehend God’s great love for them. Not just that they will love God, but that they will know just how much God loves them.
He wants them rooted and grounded—here we find agricultural and architectural terms—rooted—the roots of our life deep in the soil of God’s love and grounded—the building of our life firm on the foundation of God’s love. How do we get there?
Focus on the extent of God’s love—how wide is it? It is wide enough to encompass all mankind. Anyone who will call upon Him will be saved. How long is it? It is long enough to last for an eternity. How deep is the love of God? It is deep enough to reach down to the most depraved of sinners—to reach down to those of us who were or are dead in our sin. How high is it? It is high enough to exalt itself all the way into Heaven.
The love of Christ is best seen on the Cross. Go to the cross and meditate upon it, reflect upon it, and know just how much God loves you. The early church fathers said the description of Paul points us to the cross—the height and depth represented by the vertical bar of the cross and the width and length represented by the horizontal beam. Pray that others will comprehend just how much God loves them.
And then he says, “And to know the love of Christ that surpassed knowledge.” How can we know something that surpasses knowledge. We will never get to the bottom of it, but that doesn’t mean we cannot know something about it.
Pray for the power of God to move in you so that you can understand the love of God, but what a prayer for those who are lost! Pray for their eyes to be opened to the love of Jesus as expressed for them on the cross!
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Rungs in the ladder of prayerThe Rung of ResidenceThe Prayer Rung of ComprehensionThe Rung of FullnessCommitment to PrayerChristlike in PrayerPrayer is the WorkHow to PrayPraying the ArmorHow to pray without ceasingPraying the PsalmsThree Kinds of PrayerWrite it DownGood Friday PrayerPraying with TozerPraying with Tozer part 2Praying with Tozer part 3Praying with John StottThree Keys to PrayerPraying with Paul
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