We come to Paul’s second prayer in his letter to the Ephesians. In his first prayer, found in 1:17-23, Paul prayed that God would grant them a spirit of wisdom and revelation; that they would know more of the hope of His calling, the riches of their glorious inheritance, and the immeasurable greatness of His power that works in us. When we come to Paul’s second prayer in this letter (3:14-21), we are immediately struck by the largeness of this prayer. He begins by asking God to strengthen the believers with spiritual power in their inner being that they may be able to endure with patience and joy (cf Col 1:11). Secondly, he asks that Christ may dwell in their hearts by faith. Now we know that when we are united to Christ by faith, He indwells us by His Spirit (cf Rom 8:9; Gal 2:20). What Paul is praying for here is a fuller, unbroken, and permanent presence of Christ in our lives. It is certainly true that Christ physically dwells in heaven at the right hand of God the Father, but He also dwells in each one of us by His divine Spirit. This mystical union we have with Him is real and personal.
