Daily Devotional Monday 12th June 2023
by William Moody
Ephesians 3
The Mystery of the Gospel Revealed
3:1 For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles—2 assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. 4 When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. 6 This mystery is1 that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
7 Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. 8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in2 God, who created all things, 10 so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. 13 So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.
Prayer for Spiritual Strength
14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family3 in heaven and on earth is named, 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, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 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, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Footnotes
[1] 3:6
The words This mystery is are inferred from verse 4
[2] 3:9Or by
[3] 3:15Or from whom all fatherhood; the Greek word patria in verse 15 is closely related to the word for Father in verse 14 (ESV)
Paul turns to prayer for the Ephesians. He prays for them to be strengthened in their inner being (v16). In our praying this should be a priority. So often our praying can be focused on our physical needs or on the circumstances of our lives, God’s priority for us is inward strength that enables spiritual growth.
Paul wants inward strength so that Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith (v17), Paul is writing to Christians who already have Christ dwelling within, so he is praying for a deeper and richer experience of Christ.
Our passion should be to know and experience Christ more and more in our Christian lives. This is what the Holy Spirit enables.
Paul continues and prays that these people will come to grasp more of Christ’s love (v18-19). Paul is wanting these people to swim in the depths of this love and be consumed by this love that surpasses knowledge.
As Paul prays this he wants the Ephesians to be expectant for an answer because God is able to do abundantly more than what we ask or think through His power that works within the believer (v20-21).
Are you settled with where you are as a Christian or do you have a longing to go deeper and deeper in your knowledge and experience of Christ?
copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.