The prayer of the pastor’s heart
Proclamation of gospel truth almost always leads to prayer and praise.
- After proclaiming the spiritual blessings that are ours in Christ, in Eph1:15 Paul says: "For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.".
- After proclaiming the wonder of the coming of the gospel to the gentiles, he breaks into these words in our text.
Prayer is second nature to a pastor. Paul encourages elders not only to preach but also to pray for the congregation. Acts 20. God's people today are in the same position as those believers, and Pastors must pray for the flock, that they walk aright with the Lord and are in fellowship with Him, so that will be able to stand.
Paul's prayer for the church has these three aspects, THAT THEY MAY KNOW
- THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT and that it may permeate the inner man vs 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"
We require strength and power to live and serve the Lord in a hostile environment.
"Therefore I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus in the things which pertain to God. For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient—in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ." Rom 15:17-19
The disciples were promised power. "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you." Acts 1:8
Paul wrote: "and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God." 1 Cor2:4-5
Why are so many Christians and churches ineffective? Because we approach our Christian life from a purely human perspective and enter the fray with human weapons instead of with the power of God; no wonder we are ineffective. He that hath not the Spirit hath not Christ.
Paul earnestly prays that these Ephesian believers will be given power.
- THE PRESENCE OF CHRIST IN THEIR HEARTS vs 17. "so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith." The believer is indwelt by the third Person of the Trintiy. And Jesus said that He would not ever leave or forsake us. As the hymn goes, "He walks with me and He talks with me." This is something that the pastor should pray for the people. That they will know the presence of the Spirit in the inner man and the abiding presence of the Lord Jesus in our hearts.
- PROFOUND UNDERSTANDING OF THE LOVE OF GOD IN THE DEPTHS OF THEIR BEING
vs 17- 19
". . . that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."
Paul reminds them that they are rooted and grounded in love. It is one thing to be loved, and another thing to know that we are loved. People think we know that we are loved just by their words. True love is not just words. 'Love' is a wonderful action word. We know we are loved when we witness the loving action of our lover.
May we comprehend His live more and more with our feeble minds.
"O the deep deep love of Jesus, vast unmeasured boundless free . . ."
"For God So loved the world that He gave His only Son."
"What kind of love is this / That gave itself for me / I am the guilty one / Yet I go free"
"Wide wide is the ocean . . . " This is to do width. A good illustration to explain the height is the amazing picture of the beautiful peak of Mt Cook piercing through the clouds.
If we possess these three great attributes, then we can face the world. Joni Erikson is a great example, who has walked with the Lord through her pain.
It's about walking with God and talking with God, knowing that you can do all things, .and knowing that the Holy Spirit will never let you down.
Pastors can never understand the heart of the people beyond a point, but Pastors can pray. It is in God they are going to find the help they need.
Oh that God's people might seek to plumb the depths of God's love
This is the Pastor's prayer