Eph 3:14-16 Praying for Others Spiritual Strengthening

Eph 3:14-16 “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,”

As mentioned in the earlier posts, our primary prayers for others should be their spiritual health more than their material needs. Paul prays earnestly here, describing that he is in knelt position, praying yet also praising to God. Too often our attitude towards prayer is haphazard. We see that prayer should be done in attentive attitude, reverence respect, to God.

Paul gives us a lesson on praying for others. We ought to pray for others they are strengthened in the inner man. That is, we pray for their spiritual health, that they possess the faith to trust in God no matter what difficult circumstances they are facing currently, that they do not worry about the needs of this world, that they cast their anxieties upon God, that their spiritual lives grow in maturity.

This ability to be strengthened spiritually comes forth from the Spirit working in us. Throughout the epistles of Galatians and Ephesians, we see Paul repeatedly emphasizes upon the Spirit working in us, bringing forth faith, salvation, bearing godly fruits.

Amongst the Charismatic and Pentecostal movement, there is a strong emphasis that being filled with the Spirit involves speaking in tongues, having dreams and visions, shaking profusely. This is however not biblical. A true person filled with the Spirit is one who submits to the Spirit, bears the fruit of the Spirit, is reminded and rebuked of the Word of God by the Spirit. In short, he is no longer living in habitual sin in the world but is sensitive to the submission of the Spirit.

We have to beware against prosperity gospel teachings. Do these teachings remind us to live, submit to the Spirit or do they invoke further lusts in our old self of greed, covetousness and self-centeredness?

Let us be strengthened spiritually in the inner self. To be better Christians, living, submitting to the Spirit instead of being self-deceived and self-reasoning to be living in the ways of the world of which Paul says in Eph 2:1-2
"And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world...of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience."

Ephesians 3:1-8 Serving By the Grace of God

Praying for others Spiritual Strength


¹ For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles

For the unity of the Jewish and Gentile believers, Paul, who was imprisoned for the cause of Christ for the Gentiles, prays for the Gentiles.

We often pray for ourselves. We seldom pray for others. Even if we pray for others, we often pray for tangible blessings for them, like they would enjoy the material blessings of God or be healed from an illness. However, many times when indeed others are blessed with materials or healings, their reliance on God comes to a halt. They forget about God. They start to have confidence in only themselves again. Their spiritual lives weaken.

We learn from Paul here to pray for others and not only ourselves. Also, when we pray for others, we are to pray for their spiritual strengthening more than any other thing. Only with spiritual strengthening that man can gain the true spiritual blessings of Christ which transcends over material blessings.

More on this in the next article.


By the Grace of God

² Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, ³ that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. ⁴ In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, ⁵ which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. 


Paul by the grace of God was made known the mystery of Christ in the Spirit, that Gentiles are fellow heirs and members of the same body of the promise of Christ and the unfathomable riches of Christ. The unfathomable riches of Christ are all His truth, all His blessings, His salvation, all that He is, and has.

The reason why Paul can administer to the Gentiles the gospel was by the grace of God.

⁷ I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. ⁸ Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, 


Hence, when we serve, be it in sunday school, fellowship, visitation, evangelism, we cannot rely on our own strength but knowing that its by God's grace. Serve with humility. The gifts, talents we have, are of God's grace. Paul says in 1 Cor 15:10 "By the grace of God, I am what I am. " 

Luke 8:4-21 Learning to Listen to the Word of God

As we reflect on our spiritual growth through the years, we may realize that even after many years of listening to sermons, our spiritual growth is minimal. Worse, it maybe stagnant. Even worse, its in degradation. Where does the problem lie? Often, its lies in our listening to God's Word.

Luke 8:8 "...He who has hears, let him hear."

We listen, but we don't receive. We listen, but we do not yearn for it. We listen but we do not retain it. We listen, but we do not practice it. Hence, what we listen, we forget. When we forget, our lives immediately are filled again with the worries and concerns of the world.

Luke 8:5,7, "The sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell beside the road, and it was trampled under foot and the birds of the air ate it up. Other seed fell into among the thorns and the thorns grew up with it and choked it out."

Hence, when we listen, let us YEARN to listen. THIRST to listen. Yearn for the Word of God. In the parable of the sower, Jesus says in Luke 8:8 "Other seed fell into the good soil and grew up, and produced a crop a hundred times as great. " Good soil does not happen automatically. We become good soil when we yearn for the nutrients and fertilizers given to us.

Next, PREPARE your HEART for the Word of God. Good soil is only good soil because someone has previously dug it to soften it making it fit for planting. Prepare your heart to listen. Be in good condition to listen. Do not come hurriedly, come late, go hurriedly, with your minds full of thought of doing something else, that you are distracted from listening.

Lastly, RETAIN the Word of God through NOTE-TAKING, MEDITATING and PRACTICING the Word of God. Take notes of sermons. Follow along with the preacher. Listen actively. Mediate on what you have listened. Mediate repeatedly. Practice it. Obey it. Live it.

Luke 8:21 "...My mother and My brothers are these who hear the Word of God and DO IT."

Unity and Peace with God, with Man through Christ

The Former Alienation of the Gentiles from the Jews


Eph 2:10-12 (paraphrased) "Because we are the work of God, created in Christ for good works, which God has preordained that we would do them, hence remember that we Gentiles were formerly in the flesh, uncircumcised, we were previously separated from Christ, excluded from the blessings of Israel, strangers to God's promise, with no hope and without God. "


But in Christ, through His blood, through the Cross, Unites, Brings Peace, Reconciles Both

2:13-16 (paraphrased) "But now in Christ, we have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Christ Himself is our peace who made both Jews and Gentiles into one and broke down the dividing wall. Through the flesh of Christ, He abolished the ceremonial laws, feasts and sacrifices so that in Him, Jews and Gentiles are made into one new man thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross."


No longer Aliens but Fellow Citizens, in the same Household, built on the same Foundation with Christ as Cornerstone, both forming the same Building, built together as a Holy Temple


2:17-22 (paraphrased) "Christ came and preached peace to you who were both far and near. Both to Jews and Gentiles. For through Christ, both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens but fellow citizens with the saints and of God's household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit."


Are there any groups of people whom you are in enemity with? Are our hearts resistant to letting the peace and reconciliation through Christ unite us?

Eph 2:5-10 Saved by Grace through Faith. Good Works Follow.

Eph 2:5-7 This is a result of us being saved by grace. Together with Christ, we were not only raised but seated in the heavens that in the coming ages we will receive the immeasurable richness of God's grace to us in Christ Jesus.


In the previous article, we know that we were once dead in our transgressions/sins. Unable to respond. Only able to be swept around by the tides and ways of the world. But why is it that we can be made alive and be awakened?

Eph 2:8-9 Why? For you are saved by grace through faith. This is not our own work, but God's. God's gift that no one can boast.


It is only by the grace of God. We cannot save ourselves from indulging in sin. Only when God saves us, through moving in our hearts that we have the faith to embrace Christ, that we are made alive in Christ. It is not by our own work, but God’s gift. It is not that we choose God, made a decision to accept Christ and determined our own salvation in our time, but that God chose us, in His time, worked in our hearts through faith in Christ.


We cannot boast that we have made the ‘right’ decision and made a reasonable decision to choose Jesus over other choices. It is solely by the sovereign choice of God, prepared beforehand by Him.


Asking Ourselves


If we are saved by God's choice, why do we then still have to preach the gospel to people around us?


Good works follow


What is subsequent and resultant to being saved and made alive in Christ is good works.


Eph 2:10 For we are created in Christ for good works which God has pre-ordained.

Like our salvation, good works of ours are not by our doing but ordained by God before time began. Hence, do not boast about your salvation, or boast about your good works, for these are the work of God, that all praise be to His glory.

Asking ourselves

Are we just having faith without good works? Understanding but not application? Knowledge without living?

Eph 2:1-5 From Being Dead in Sin to Being Alive in Christ

Paul having demonstrated God's power in Christ, through raising Him from the dead (Eph 1:20), seating Him at His right hand in heaven above all authority (1:21), putting everything under His feet (1:22) for the church, makes the point in chapter 2 of Ephesians that we were once dead in sin, but now brought to life by Christ.

Paraphrasing Eph 2:1-3, We were once dead in our trespasses and sins when we previously walked in the ways of the world, being controlled by the ruler and spirit working in the disobedient. We lived in our fleshly desires, thought in the flesh, acted in the flesh. Because of these, we were under the wrath of God.

Someone who is dead cannot respond. They cannot react. A fish which is dead cannot swim. Needless to say, it cannot swim against the tide. It can only float while rotting, in the water being brought about by the current to where ever the tide brings.

We were once dead in our sinful ways. We drift according to the sinful trends of the world. We cannot react against the depravity of the world for we identify with it. Jealously, covetousness, hatred, sexual immorality, reigned in our hearts. This is even more so today where media surrounds us almost all the time. Television, movies, posters, magazines, websites, facebook, blogs, all portray sex, crime, adultery as something to be accepted, even to the point that it might look cool. Vulgarities, words of hate are carelessly spoken of or typed out in tweets or posts.

Take for example the recent riots by youths in the UK. Thousands of them stealing, hurting, putting fire, damaging property. While drifting along, we are constantly rotting. We are degrading our morals, being more and more insensitive to sin, because we are dead in sin.

If one can tolerate this, it is because he is dead in the ways of the world. Because he belongs to the disobedient, where he is ruled by the evil spirit (2:2).

We might think that we might get away with it. Since no one knows. The law cannot enforce itself on us. The police have no judicial rights on me. But 2:3 says that we are under the wrath of God.

The wrath of God on us sinners is the curse of death. Of eternal punishment. It cannot be taken lightly.

Eph 2:4-5 But our merciful God, because of His great love for us, made us alive in Christ while we were dead in our sins.


But we thank our merciful God, though having incurred His wrath and having every right to judge us, yet He loves us greatly and pulls us from the graves of sin back into life in Christ. He pulled us away from the wide path heading towards destruction, and placed us back on the narrow path heading towards life. He transforms us from sexual immorality to purity. From covetousness to contentment. From jealously to thanksgiving. From hatred, to love. From opposing Him, to submitting to Him.

God does this awakening through Christ, that we recognize Him, His dying on the cross for us, His resurrection, His ascension, His redemption, His lordship, His coming again, His rulership for eternity.


Friend, are you still in opposition to God yet in accordance to the world? Are you drifting in the tides of the world's ocean being tossed and turned by the waves of the world not realizing that you are sinking deeper and deeper into the depths of death? Are you still treating yourself as the absolute authority based on your own intelligence yet not considering the spirit's moving in your heart of heavenly authority as revealed through the bible?

Make Ephesians 2:4-5 apply to you. But our merciful God, because of His great love for _____, made _____ alive in Christ while _____ was dead in his/her sins. 


In the next article, we will consider why one is able to be revived from death in sin, to being alive in Christ.

Asking ourselves

Is everyone really dead in sin? How about the 'good' people who do charity, feed the poor, help the weak?

Eph 1:15-16 True Faith brings about True Love

Eph 1:15-16 “This is why, since i heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I never stop giving thanks in my prayers.”

Paul here upon hearing the faith of the Ephesus believers and their love for one another, gave thanks to God continously. Over here, we see from the example of the Ephesus believers that true faith is accompanied by love for one another. This is reverberated in Galatians 6 where Paul encourages believers that true faith in Christ brings true love which will share one another’s burdens. With this kind of love, there is no need for the law.

How often, we affirm sound doctrines of theology and are able to quote this verse and that. Yet, we lack in the exercise and show of love. We listen, we read, we sing, we may even preach, yet when it comes to a show of love, we bring about dragged feet, unwilling hearts. Help us to learn from the example of Jesus.

He was busy in the ministry. He preached forth truth. He rebuked, encouraged, warned people with truth. Yet, He was never too busy to stop by a blind or lame man and heal him unless when he was utterly exhausted or submitted to the Father for another ministry. Never too busy to take a route down Samaria and have a sincere chat with a Samaritan woman and reveal His messiah-ship. He was never too busy to dine with tax collectors and sinners. He was never too busy to attend a wedding, to visit Mary’s house or take a detour which involved the risk of murderous attempt on Him just to heal Lazarus.

True faith, brings about true love. For those being ministered to, that involves true love for your shepherd. For those ministering, that involves true love for the flock. And for all, true love for one another.

The Purpose of the Spiritual Blessings - For God's Glory

What is the purpose of God giving us these spiritual blessings?

Eph 1:12 "so that we who had already put our hope in the Messiah might bring praise to His glory."

Eph 1:14 "He is the down payment of our inheritance, for the redemption of the possession, to the praise of His glory."

The Reason We Receive Spiritual Blessings - God's Choice

Why do we receive such spiritual blessings? Did we do a special something or are we morally better than others? No.

The reason we receive these spiritual blessings,

• He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4)
• In love, He predestined us...according to the kind intention of His will. (1:5)
• having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, (1:11)

Our identity is that we have been chosen by God. Let us live a life that matches up with this identity. Holy, Blameless.

Eph 1:9-10 Have Wisdom and understand that everything is brought together in Christ

Eph 1:9-10 "He made known to us to the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure that He planned in Him for the administration of the days of fulfillment - to bring everything together in the Messiah, both things in heaven and things on earth in Him."

God's gift of spiritual richness in Christ besides letting us have wisdom and understanding towards His Word, the ultimate understanding is that in His time and will, EVERYTHING will be brought together in Christ.

When Adam first sinned and sin entered the world, there was gulf between God and man. In God's will, He temporarily allowed sin to manifest. Man hated one another, murdered one another, both privately, and in public wars. Man indulged in their lusts. There was envy, jealously. God's judgments came in response to man's sins. All these will culminate in a climax when the anti-Christ comes during the seven years of tribulation (Revelation).

Yet, in Christ, the gulf of God and man is bridged. For those who embrace Christ as their Lord and Savior, Christ's righteousness is imputed onto them hence making them holy and blameless before God. Yet for those who reject the revelation of Christ, they will be judged for their sins. Christ though died, resurrected and ascended to heaven, will come once again at the end of the tribulation years and He will judge all man. He will overcome and thrown the Anti-Christ and Satan with the rest of the opposing angels into the great abyss. He will reign victory. If your name is not in the Book of Life, you will be thrown in the Lake of Fire. If you through Christ have your name in the Book of Life, you will be enter the Kingdom of Heaven of which Jesus has prepared for you and in that place, there are many rooms.

Christ will then begin His millenial Kingdom rule. Everything under heaven and earth will be brought together under Him. He will RULE.

This is further elaborated by Paul in Eph 1:18-23 "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power towards us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all."

Do you believe this? God gives wisdom and understanding that we have faith and hope one day, everything will be brought under Christ where He will reign forever and ever. Exalted above all things.

If you do not believe, perhaps you have not been blessed with this wisdom and understanding in the mystery of God. Trust in Christ as Lord and Savior, where true grace and peace will abound in your hearts, and have wisdom and understand the mystery of God's will

Coming your way on the iPhone.

Eph 1:8-13 - Understanding of God's WIll. Wisdom to Live it Out.

Ready for more spiritual blessings in the epistle to the Ephesians?

The second set of spiritual blessings.

• Gives us wisdom and insight (1:8)
• Made known to us His will (1:9)
• Obtained an inheritance (1:11)
• Sealed in him with the Holy Spirit of promise (1:13)

God gives us wisdom and understanding to know His WILL which is that Christ will bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth. How do we know God's will? Through His Word. Hence, the second set of spiritual blessing centres in around understanding the Word of God.

God gives us understanding. He also gives us wisdom to understand His word enough that we can obey it and live it out in the many details of our lives. In other words, to APPLY it. To be able to apply God's word, we need to be reminded of it enough such that we can REMEMBER it when a situation in our lives requires the need for it. Often Christians keep talking about applying God's word when they are not interested in understanding it and remembering it. How then do we apply it?

Hence, let us READ, UNDERSTAND, REMEMBER, APPLY. By man's own intelligence, God's word is but foolishness to him (1 Cor 1-2). Even Christians sometimes feel that God's Word is irrelevant to him, is an embarrassment to him before friends/family, that he cannot live it out in his life. Do you feel so? If yes, God's Word is but foolishness to you, for you belong to the world. But to His children, He gives them wisdom and insight to understand it enough that it can be brought to reality in their lives.

And from where does a man gain the ability to apply understand God's word? Through the Holy Spirit sealed in us (1:13) which reminds us not to live by the flesh, but live by the Spirit. Not to sow to the flesh, but to sow to the spirit. Not to bear the rotten fruits of the flesh, but to bear the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5-6). It rebukes us and reminds us the teachings of Christ (Jhn 14, 16).

This is later further elaborated by Paul in Eph 1:17 " that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him."

In the next article, we will consider the understanding of God's will that Christ will bring all things to unity.

Eph 1:4-7 - Yearning for the Spiritual Blessings of Christ - Made Holy, Blameless. Being Adopted. Redeemed. Forgiven. Lavished.

We have talked about setting our hearts to yearn for spiritual blessings in Christ. Now just what are they?

• We would be holy and blameless before Him. (Eph 1:4)
• Adoption as sons. (1:5)
• Redeemed through His blood. (1:7)
• Forgiveness of our trespasses (1:7)
• Lavished on us the riches of His grace (1:7)

Do we find the above blessings relevant? Are you yearning for it? If not, it is because we have our eyes still fixated on the blessings of the world? For where our treasure is, our hearts will be also. But by the mercy of God, let us learn to yearn for spiritual blessings.

The spiritual blessings of Ephesians which God lavished on us richly (1:7) have compared to the analogy of a bank cheque book which you can write any amount and any number of cheques and the account will NEVER run dry. You can always, seek from God, these riches and it will never run dry. Its like a fish who drinks from the ocean and the ocean will never run dry. Its like breathing air from the vastness of the earth and never running out of oxygen. Let's study what these blessings are.

First set of Spiritual Blessings: Made holy and blameless. Adopted as sons. Redeemed. Forgiven.

We are drenched in our sin. Lavish lusts, sexual lusts, lies, jealously, hatred. Sinful to the core, that no one can fathom. Yet God, is willing to make us holy and blameless? Willing to forgive us?

There was a story of a mongolian king, who wanted to stem crime in his country, set a law that whoever was caught committing a crime, who have to have his arm cut off. Because of this law, the crime rate subsided. Yet one day, it was brought to his attention that someone got caught! As he met the criminal, he got the shock of his life. The criminal was none other than his own mother. He wanted to spare his mother, however, everyone including his mother and himself was under the law. She had come under the curse of the law and the law requires a penalty for it.

In order to spare his mother and yet without her having to have her arm cut off, the king could only do one thing. Had his own arm cut off to substitute that of his mother. In doing so, he had paid the penalty of the law. He had ransomed his mother's crime. He had redeemed her iniquity.

We likewise are like the mother who committed a crime. Our sins requires a penalty which is eternal destruction. However, our loving Father sent His son, to pay the penalty for us by dying on the cross for us. Through the blood of Christ, we are made holy and blameless righteous before God, forgiven by God.

We are sons of sins. Yearning to sin. We have no value. Yet, God is willing to spare no efforts, even to the point of killing His son, to adopt us as sons? To redeem with such a huge price, people of absolute zero value?

What does this purification, adoption, redemption and forgiveness mean? That we do not have to stand before the great white throne of judgement, receiving sentences that condemn us to eternal hell. But rather, we stand before the seat of Christ, preparing to receive our rewards. Do you appreciate this? Have you ever thanked God for this?

More spiritual blessings to consider in the next article.

Eph 1:3 - Yearn for the Spiritual Blessings in Christ

Eph 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,"

The book of Ephesians is often labeled as the epistle with the most spiritual blessings. And rightfully so, as in the starting verse 1:3, "...who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing...". Remember that this epistle was written by Paul to the churches in Ephesus when he was in jail. Hence, when someone in jail who has no equity on money, status, assets, time, strength, opportunities yet still can exhort believers that they are blessed with every spiritual blessing, it means something.

What spiritual blessings was Paul talking about?

Firstly, the spiritual blessings are in the heavenly places in Christ. The spiritual blessings are in God's complete, eternal, heavenly domain. Not primarily on the earthly world's, incomplete, temporal domain. Hence, if the blessings that you seek are just earthly blessings, fame, fortune, assets, leisure, you will be disappointed. For the blessings that Paul refers too are of a greater nature, those of heaven. But the heavenly blessings are of an infinitely greater worth! I remember Jesus words in Matt 6:19-21,

"Do not store up treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy and where theives do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, your heart will be also."

If we focus on just blessings in the earthly nature, we will be sorely disappointed. In finance terms, they will depreciate. We see that happening now. Investments have lost much of their value when the US Treasury got a downgrade from S & P. As inflation strikes, value rots away. Treasures on earth get stolen too. They get stolen in a failed venture, failed investment or in a lawsuit over ownership of property. Earthly blessings though may bring us temporal happiness, but after the party is over, when the lights are turned on again, joy and happiness vanishes.

Hence, Jesus exhorts us to turn our eyes upon spiritual blessings where, moth and rust do not destroy. Again in finance terms, they have true intrinsic value. They WILL NOT DEPRECIATE. And they belong solely to yours. They will not flee from you. They will not be stolen from you. And when, we set our eyes on heavenly spiritual blessing, they will hearts be also. Away from the envy, jealously, bitterness, coveteousness of this world, but in the peace of God, joy in God's presence and in the contentment of His blessings.

In the next article, let's look at what spiritual blessings we gain in Christ.