Ephesians 3. Among the personal traits Paul reveals in his letters, at least one stands out clearly – he was always praying. Remember Paul’s amazing prayer for the church in Colossians 1? The letter to the Ephesians also began with a prayer (1:16-23) and now Paul prays again for the believers in Ephesus as he wraps up the doctrinal section of this letter.

Prayer is a unique opportunity that we are offered to engage with God. Paul reminds us that we have boldness and access God with confidence through our faith in Christ Jesus (3:12). Because we can approach the throne of God with assurance, Paul says I bow my knees before the Father (3:14).

What does Paul pray for? Primarily that believers would know the love of Christ. He’s spent two chapters explaining the believer’s identity in Christ, and Paul’s greatest concern is that the great love of God would be accepted and allowed to overwhelm and transform believers. He prays:

That according to the riches of his glory God may grant you:
to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith
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 (3:16-19).

Paul prays that believers would be rooted and grounded in love; that they would comprehend the vastness of God’s love; and that their understanding of love would move from head knowledge to a heart understanding of love.

Our understanding of God’s love for us is usually way to small, too minimized to actually have an impact on our hearts and our inner insecurities and identity. In fact, Paul says our picture of God is always too small – for God is the one who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think (3:20). He is beyond what we can imagine – in terms of his love for us, and with regard to his capacity to do things!

You cannot see it; you cannot touch it; but love is a powerful force! It contributes to our deep need to be accepted and valued. When was the last time you were amazed by someone’s love for you? How would you describe that experience?

God loves us. That is a truth, whether we perceive it – feel it – or not. What might you do this week to help you understand and perceive the love God has for you in a deeper way? Do you need to spend some quiet time in contemplation, prayer, or reading scripture? Do you need a long walk in nature to see how detailed the handiwork of God is? What would help you receive the love of God more deeply?