Asking For The Miracle of Knowing We Are Loved
In which Brent considers the foundational importance of trusting God’s love
The Pun
The Prayer
“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.” (Ephesians 3:14-19)
Paul took time in the middle of writing a letter to pray for the Ephesian church. He prayed that all the riches and goodness of God might be unleashed on this small group of gathered saints, huddled to hear the words of the apostle read aloud. He prayed that the power of God’s spirit would strengthen these redeemed children of God. But to what end?
Not to become mighty conquerors, Not to perform powerful acts, Not to become good people, Not to sacrifice greatly, Not to be filled with boldness, Not to become great witnesses.
He prayed that God would give them strength to comprehend the love of God in all its dimensions. Because it isn’t easy to believe we are loved. There are too many experiences of being unloved:
Curses uttered, harsh words spoken, Faiths shattered, trusts broken, Mercies reserved, forgiveness refused, Taken for granted, kindness abused, Pressured performance , gentleness rare, Often exploited, treatments unfair, Wrongs remembered, merits ignored, Offers of peace returned with discord, Graces withheld, grudges upheld, hurting hearts un-held, Creep into the soul and weaken the will To strain toward belief that sure love is real.
It takes a mighty, miraculous grace of God to spark our imaginations to again wonder how greatly we are loved. It takes a Holy Spirit inspired courage to move forward and expand a belief in the kind of love that God alone has. The good news is, those who seek find. Those who trust that this goodness of God is real with even a mustard seed of faith will find an ever expanding realm of mercy and grace with no ceiling nor floor nor boundary.
It is the most satisfying search that uncovers treasure at every dig and yet leaves an infinite depth of grace left to be discovered. It is a most uplifting climb that reveals a love that reaches to the sky only to find on the other side exists a universe to be explored. It is a most encouraging journey away from the worst in ourselves, taking us as far as the east is from the west.
And so the prayer for the strength to comprehend His love is a most valuable prayer to pray for ourselves and others. It is those who believe and KNOW they are loved who become bold witnesses performing mighty acts of sacrificial goodness, conquering dominions of evil. Obedience becomes simple once we trust that the One who commands us loves us.