Letter to the Ephesians, Pt. 9
St. Jerome Praying
The sketch above isn’t Paul the Apostle, but St. Jerome. The picture reminds me of the posture and setting of Paul in Prison. Though there are some unique features above, if you look closely.
Praying for and blessing others is one of the most powerful things we can do as human begins. In the act of praying and blessing we are calling upon God’s own power to act, and we’re doing it not just with God’s permission, but with his command and blessing. Why don’t we feel the power of this act more acutely? Why don’t we do it more often or more readily? These are questions to wrestle through as we relish Paul’s words of prayer and blessing over the church in Ephesus and over us, too.
Anchor Texts:
Questions to Ponder:
How important do you think the physical elements of prayer are? Think of traditional elements - kneeling (v. 14), lifting up hands, laying hands on someone you are praying for, bowing, etc. What other physical practices of Christian prayer would you include on this list?
Did you know this is one of the few references that Christ dwells in our hearts? Usually the Bible talks about us being in Christ. What is the difference between us being “in Christ” and Christ being “in us”?
Do we need to have the community of his Holy People (the church) around us in order to comprehend God’s love? (v. 18)
What’s the greatest/best thing you can ask for? DO you believe that God can do better than that? Could truly believing that God can do more than your greatest request change the way you pray?
The Theme in Song:
There is a reason this song became so popular, whether you think it got “overplayed” or “overdone.” There is a richness is praying for others, and this song represents one of the less common forms of congregational singing - a song directed not to God but rather the words of God sung over his church, his Holy People everywhere.
The Theme for Kids:
Here is a very simple video to help kids understand prayer. There’s a lot of prayer resource videos out there on YouTube, and honestly, a lot of them aren’t great. The best way to model prayer to your kids is to spend time praying with them. Try meal time and bed time, but also try praying with them before trips, when your family hears big news (good or bad) or when they are having a hard day. Don’t force it, but let them see that prayer truly is an ongoing conversation with God!