Ephesians 3 provides great insights into how to pray for others in your church. In this Crazy Love podcast Francis Chan challenges listeners to desire the deeper things of God. As he unpacks this famous passage, Francis teaches others to “Pray Like Paul” so they cultivate in the church a rich abundant inner life that overflows into the world.
Our time is limited on earth
What if this year was the last year of your life? Recently, while looking to buy a house in San Francisco, Francis Chan had a sobering realization. As houses are expensive in that area, Francis was drawn to some smaller houses that were cheaper than the rest but were only available for the elderly. As Francis looked at the requirements he realized he qualified and that he is considered an older person.
It dawned on Francis not to take his life for granted and that his days on earth are numbered. He asks his listeners to consider:
“If this is my last year, what things that you must do or must change this year?”
In December, Francis started to get serious about memorizing the Word of God and started with the book of Ephesians. He said it has been life-transforming as it has helped him to think heavenly thoughts because of memorizing the book.
“The Apostle Paul doesn’t think like we do. He was living in a different reality, his mind was thinking about such deep things.”
Bowing our knees
The Apostle Paul doesn’t think like we do. His mind was thinking about deeper things and this is reflected in his prayers for the church such as the one found in Ephesians 3. Francis asks,
“Is the shallowness in our churches because of the shallowness of our prayers?”
In Ephesians 3:14, Paul says “For this reason I kneel before the Father.” The Apostle Paul’s revelation of who Jesus is and what He has done for us caused him to have such reverence before God. Francis questions whether we are approaching God, the Creator of heaven and earth in the same manner as Paul:
“When was the last time you bowed your knees before the Father?”
God may grant us to be strengthened with power
God wants to grant strength in your inner being, your “inner life.”
Francis recalls growing up in a traditional Chinese home, showing honour to his parents and doing what pleased his parents, getting good grades and doing what was asked of him. He noticed this compliant approach translated into his own Christian life. When a pastor asked him to serve, he would always say ‘yes.’ Paul is talking about people not externally asking you to do things.
The passage is speaking of something different.. What Paul is talking about, is not people externally for you to do things. He is asking for strength in the inner person. There is something going on inside of you, the idea to ask is stirring inside of you and you are given the strength from Jesus.
I thought it was a strange phrase “so that Christ may dwell in your hearts.” We assume this in people. When was the last time you asked that Christ may dwell in their hearts through their faith. This requires God’s supernatural strength to you. We need to get serious to pray for one another so Christ will dwell in our hearts through faith.
“This is something we just assume of people. But Paul is saying ‘I am begging God because I want Christ to dwell in your inner being.”
God needs to grant supernatural strength. We need to get serious about praying for one another so we get to the root cause. The fighting and divisions that goes on in our churches is often that there is not Christ dwelling in our hearts through faith. Rather than praying that people will stop fighting, we would pray that Christ would dwell in our hearts, that would change the way we would think about everything. We would be so fascinated with Christ in our inner being.
Being rooted and grounded in love
We are not just obeying tasks when we serve in the church. The Apostle Paul is praying about a supernatural love for one another.
“A lot of us have to admit a lot of us have to admit that we don’t love because we are not rooted and grounded in love.”
Paul is again asking strength from heaven to ‘comprehend how wide, how long, how deep the love of Christ.’
A lot of people crave things outside of Jesus because they don’t really know what you have in Christ.”
“Paul is praying that the people will know something that is beyond knowledge.”
Do you know the love of Christ? Every year Francis meets more and more people who have been in church for years and are not sure if Christ loves them. Many of us assume that people ‘know’ in their inner being the love of Christ but there are many bible scholars that don’t know the love of Christ. This is not about intellect but a deeper knowledge of the love of God. Francis asks do you want to be filled with all the fullness of God? Or will you settle for something less this year.
To hear more from Francis Chan on Praying Like Paul, listen here.
