May the mumbling commence!
What more can we learn about prayer from Saint Paul in
his letter to the Ephesians? Let us look
at the end of chapter three (Eugene Peterson’s The Message paraphrase):
My response is to get down on my knees before the Father,
this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen
you by his Spirit – not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength – that
Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted
firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all Christians the extravagant
dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out
and experience the breadth! Test its
length! Plumb its depths! Rise to its heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.
God can do anything, you know – far more
than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by
working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.
Glory to God in the church!
Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus!
Glory down all the generations!
Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes! (Verses 14-21)
Prayer is an attitude of humility – down on our knees
before God the Father. This kind of
humility in our lives and our prayers leads to an inner strength that can come
from nowhere else. It is by the Spirit of
the living God. It is Christ living in
us and through us.
Prayer is extravagant.
Hold nothing back! Love God and
his family with all you’ve got.
Prayer is a gentle nudge to praise. Glory to God now and
forever.
Let’s review our list of what we have learned about
prayer in Ephesians so far:
1) Prayer is a way of life.
2) Prayer is a time to listen and to learn.
3) Prayer places a floodlight into the attitudes of our
hearts.
4) Prayer helps us to understand the glorious promises that
God has in store for us.
5) Prayer is the powerful First Responder.
6) Prayer is meditation on the role of Christ in our lives.
7) Prayer is an attitude of humility.
8) Prayer is extravagant – holds nothing back.
9) Prayer is a gentle nudge to praise God.
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
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