Letters From PaulSample

PREPARE

Take a moment to quiet your heart as you set aside today’s distractions.

Ask God to prepare you to read and receive his holy Word.

READ: Ephesians 3:14–19

Dear Friend,

I fall on my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth receives its true name. I ask God from the wealth of his glory to give you power through his Spirit to be strong in your inner selves, and I pray that Christ will make his home in your hearts through faith. I pray that you may have your roots and foundation in love, so that you, together with all God’s people, may have the power to understand how broad and long, how high and deep, is Christ’s love. Yes, may you come to know his love—although it can never be fully known—and so be completely filled with the very nature of God.

In his name,

Paul

REFLECT

In this letter, Paul is encouraging the church in Ephesus, which had grown and thrived thanks to his Spirit-filled ministry. Later in his life, Paul was imprisoned in Rome. He wrote this letter from prison, reflecting on the gospel message and how it impacts our lives. How does the knowledge that Paul was imprisoned while writing these words change your view of this passage?

Spend time reflecting on “how broad and long, how high and deep, is Christ’s love” for you. How does meditating on Christ’s love affect you?

PRAY

Paul’s prayer for believers in this letter is powerful: “I ask God from the wealth of his glory to give you power through his Spirit to be strong in your inner selves, and I pray that Christ will make his home in your hearts through faith. I pray that you may have your roots and foundation in love.” Pray the same prayer for yourself and your brothers and sisters in Christ today.