#1433. I kneel before the Father (19/1/26)

Welcome to this Come to Jesus Daily Devotional (posted, at present, every weekday) as we continue our Ephesians series: Ephesians - To the praise, for the purpose, in the power of God.

Today, we begin our reflections on Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3:14-21. In this first devotional, we consider how: 

Knowing God as Father is to transform our prayers and relationships. 

To watch this devotional, please select the link below: 

Having taken a detour in verse 2, he now returns telling them about his prayers for them. 

1. Paul has good reasons to pray

Many of us fail to pray as we should. I understand why - because I share the same human frailties - but, bearing in mind what prayer is and does, it’s very surprising that church prayer meetings and personal prayer are so poorly attended to. 

There are many reasons for this, however, the main reason is faith - we don’t have the kind of faith that Paul had - faith that inspires big prayers to a big God!

We need a ‘reason’ to pray. Paul begins this section by saying, ‘For this reason…’ He’s referring back to the truths he’s just shared in chapter 2 — that Jews and Gentiles have been united in Christ and made part of God’s household… These great truths, and others, are what inspire his prayer for them.

Our prayers, especially in hard times, reveal what we truly believe about God. Paul’s prayer life shows deep confidence in God’s purposes, even while he is imprisoned. He doesn’t give up praying because of difficulty; rather, his faith fuels his prayers.

Do we have a ‘reason’ to pray? Do we know God well enough to trust His goodness and purposes when life is painful? Prayer is not just a duty - it’s the lifeline that sustains perseverance and joy when we are called to suffer.

2. Paul kneels before the Father in prayer

Firstly, I want us to notice the obvious - Paul prays passionately and persistently. Previously He’s spoken of the grace, love and sovereignty of God, but these inspire prayer rather than cause him to become lazy and presume that God will do what He will do regardless of his prayers! 

Secondly, Paul kneels. Posture can be very helpful. Posture signals to the heart and spirit that we are humbling ourselves before God. Or, in the case of dancing, that we are rejoicing in God. Or, when we raise our hands, that we are receiving from God… Kneeling speaks of reverent humility. We never get - in Paul or any other Biblical author - a glibness that too often marks a modern approach to prayer and worship. 

Thirdly, Paul kneels before the Father. God is Father to the Christian. Having been adopted into God’s family, to call God ‘Our Father’ is our highest privilege and joy. As Jesus taught in The Lord’s Prayer, so, I encourage you to call God ‘Father’ in prayer; this speaks of His love for us; His power and authority over us; His care and provision for us. 

Fourthly, He speaks of God the Father as the one:

The word ‘family’ (patriá) means a group descended from the same father. 

It seems best to me to see this in the context of God’s great ‘mystery’ now revealed that we’ve looked at previously; this mystery is that in Jesus, all people are united in Christ. Therefore, it seems best to me to see this as God giving the same name - the same family identity - to the various tribes and people-groups who come to faith in Christ. We are equally children of God with those in heaven and with those from every background who have put their faith in Jesus. 

Response

• Do you know God as Father and is this leading you to loving and humble prayer as it should?

• Do we see that our brothers and sister in Christ - no matter their background - share the same name and family with us?

What a joy to know God as Father, may each of us know this and let this shape every aspect of our lives. Paul is praying because of His new identity as a child of God, and God wants us to do the same, as we read in Galatians: 

Community Group Notes

1. Notices

It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News. 

2. Icebreaker

How has God been speaking to you from His Word this week, and how has this helped you? 

3. Worship together

Let’s begin our time together by lifting our eyes and hearts to worship our great God. Perhaps you have readings and songs that you would like to use together. Let’s be open to the gifts that the Spirit wants to give in order to encourage one another.

4. Study and pray together

Balanced Time Allocation - Please ensure a balanced focus on discussion, SIV (Serve, Invest, and Invite), and prayer so that each section is meaningful and fruitful.

On Sunday, we continued our new series entitled: Ephesians: to the praise, for the purpose, in the power of God. 

Please read Ephesians 3:14-21 and discuss:

• Personal Reflection – From Sunday’s message and this passage, what stood out to you? Was there anything the Spirit particularly impressed on your heart?

• One family, one identity - Paul speaks of the unity of all Christians—particularly Jews and Gentiles—through adoption into God’s family.

• Loving one another well - Paul prays that believers would be ‘rooted and established in love.’ In practical terms, how could we, as a CG, grow in love for one another?

• Learning to pray from Paul’s example - Ephesians 3:14–21 is a model prayer. What does this passage teach us about:

  • What we should pray for?

  • How our prayers should be shaped by who God is?

• God’s power at work in us - What do we learn here about God’s power and the work of the Holy Spirit in believers and in the church?

• Applying this to our prayer life - How might our personal prayers - and our prayers together as a CG and church - change if they more fully reflected the truths of this passage?

SIV (Serve, Invest, and Invite)

• Power and unity -  From our text, what can we learn about God’s power and our loving unity in regard to mission? 

• Sharing Stories – Have you had any recent opportunities to Serve, Invest, or Invite someone toward Jesus? Let’s encourage one another by sharing stories of how we’ve seen God at work through simple faithfulness.

• Practical Next Steps – Who might God be placing on your heart at this time? Are there any “people of peace” (see note) in your life—those who seem open, welcoming, or receptive to spiritual conversation?

Let’s Pray Together

Let’s pray for one another in light of what we’ve studied and bring any other needs before God.

• Pray for courage, wisdom, and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit in our Serve, Invest, and Invite opportunities.

• Pray specifically for the ‘people of peace’ in our lives - that God would open hearts and deepen relationships.

• Ask God to work through us by His power, so that others may come to know Christ.