Deeper
On the first day of 2016, I sat on my large bed with the soft new year light pouring in and the large pine tree outside swaying in the wind. I had my journal and pen in hand, ready to write out my goals and aspirations for the year. It was here the word "deeper" came to mind, and I knew instantly it was my theme for the year. It was that same day, as I poured over scriptures, the passage Ephesians 3:14-21 popped out to me.
“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, That according to the riches of his glory he 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. 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, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
Dozens of times over the last two months, I've returned to this passage for encouragement, strength, edification, and comfort. Its sweet words are soothing to my heart and soul when I feel troubled, discouraged, and unsure. Today, I'd like to share with you the power of these words and how they apply to your life, in the hope it does the same for you.
On Your Knees
Do you often fall to your knees and pray to the Father? I do wish I did it more than when I'm just desperate. There is something special that happens when I hit the floor in submission and lay it all out at the Father's feet. It's here I find the fuel and strength to persevere forward when I don't feel like it. But that's how it should be, as Ephesians beautifully states. And it's in this state where Christ takes root in our hearts; when we trust Him with everything.
There was a short time in my early twenties when I served on the stage team for a large children's ministry, and I used to lead worship (don't worry; I didn't have a mic). There was one song I still remember to this day, and it was my favorite then—"Your Love Is Deep" by Hillsong Kids.
“Your love is deeper than my view of grace,
higher than this worldly place,
longer than the road I travel,
wider than the gap You fill.”
That children's song struck a chord within me so deeply as it described the incredible lengths of God's love for us. To think His love never ends, never fails, and is always there is comforting in an unsure world. I imagine Paul sitting on the prison floor, shackled in his chains, contemplating the vastness of God's love. As he contemplated, he burst into prayer—this prayer.
Paul’s Prayer
Notice that this prayer is not for anything physical. He's not being asked to be released from prison or for human favor. There is no physical fulfillment he seeks. Paul, in a place most would consider the bottom, is praying for spiritual benefits. Specifically, he prays for 4 things:
Strength (v.16)
Depth (v.17)
Comprehension (v.18-19a)
Fullness (v.19b)
Paul's prayer for you and me is that when we truly seek God, we would be granted these four requests. What's important is that none of these prayers are independent from the others, either. That one would lead to another in fullness.
Paul is praying that YOU would be strengthened by the power of God and that Christ's roots take deep residency in your heart, allowing you the understanding of his love. This leads to fullness in God.
In closing his prayer, Paul ends with a reminder that God is powerful and able to do so much more than we can imagine. It's a reminder we take into our own prayers.
Whatever you might be going through today—it may be hard, discouraging, and defeating—fall to your knees in prayer. Soak up God's love and strength so that you can move forward in the plans He has for you. Remind yourself that God can do anything on your behalf and wants to! That's the best part; God is on your side! He is for you and not against you. And when God is on your side, anything is possible.