Someone Needs This Prayer

There are several prayers offered on behalf of the saints throughout the New Testament. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I am learning to adopt these prayers as my own in praying for myself as well as for others.

Lately I've felt burdened to pray for certain people that they would be filled with a deeper understanding of the depth of God's love. I'll admit that I at times struggle with that myself, and I suppose that I won't fully totally grasp the extent of God's love for me until I'm with Him face to face. Still, I pray for myself and others that God puts on my heart that we will all experience His lavish love in new ways.

The following is one of Paul's prayers, offered on behalf of the church at Ephesus, but no doubt applicable to us today. I have a feeling that someone needs this prayer right now. Perhaps it's you--if so, lift your voice to God and cry out for a touch of His love and power. If it's not you, but God has put someone else on your heart to pray for, take the time to pray for them today.

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:14-21)