Read & explore together
Paul’s Prayer for the Ephesians
This prayer shows what Paul asks God to do in believers. It moves from kneeling before the Father, to strength and love within, and ends by praising God for power that goes beyond human asking or thinking.
Understanding the passage
Read these words in context
In these verses, Paul speaks directly as a prayer. He addresses the Father, asks for inner strength through the Spirit, prays that Christ may dwell in believers’ hearts through faith, and ends with praise to God for his great power and glory. The passage stays focused on prayer and praise.
Ephesians 3:14–21Main takeaway
This prayer teaches that believers need God’s power, Christ’s love, and God’s glory at the centre of their lives.
Explore the prayer
01Paul bows before the FatherPaul begins with a physical posture of prayer: he bows his knees to the Father. He then says every family in heaven and on earth is named from him.
Explanation
Paul begins with a physical posture of prayer: he bows his knees to the Father. He then says every family in heaven and on earth is named from him. The focus is on God as Father and source, setting the whole prayer under his authority and care.
02A prayer for inner strengthPaul asks God to grant strength, not from limited human resources, but according to the riches of his glory.
Explanation
Paul asks God to grant strength, not from limited human resources, but according to the riches of his glory. This strength comes through the Spirit in the inner person. The prayer is about inward renewal, where God’s power is at work within believers.
03Christ dwelling through faith and lovePaul prays that Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith. He describes them as rooted and grounded in love.
Explanation
Paul prays that Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith. He describes them as rooted and grounded in love. These are steady pictures: roots go down for life and grounding gives firmness. Love is presented as the place where believers are established.
04Knowing the vast love of ChristPaul wants believers, together with all the saints, to comprehend the width, length, height and depth, and to know Christ’s love.
Explanation
Paul wants believers, together with all the saints, to comprehend the width, length, height and depth, and to know Christ’s love. Yet he says this love surpasses knowledge. The prayer reaches beyond facts alone to a deep grasp of Christ’s immeasurable love.
05Praise to the God who is ableThe prayer ends in praise. God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that people ask or think, and this is linked to the power that works in believers.
Explanation
The prayer ends in praise. God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that people ask or think, and this is linked to the power that works in believers. Therefore glory belongs to him in the assembly and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever.
Questions to explore
01What does Paul ask the Father to give, and where does that strength work?
Look carefully at the words about God’s gift and the phrase ‘in the inner person’.
02How does Paul describe the place of love in a believer’s life?
Notice the two building and plant images joined to love.
03What two things does Paul say about Christ’s love that seem to stretch our understanding?
One line describes its vastness, and another says it surpasses knowledge.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Ephesians 3:14–21
14For this cause, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,
16that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that you may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner person,
17that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
18may be strengthened to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth,
19and to know Christ’s love which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,
21to him be the glory in the assembly and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.