Corporately Praying the Word (continued)
Paul was in prison when he prayed that we be granted a spirit of wisdom and revelation in a full and thorough knowledge of our Lord.
Paul was in prison when he declared that Christ was resurrected, and was seated at the right hand of God, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and all things are under His feet.
Paul was in prison when he revealed by the Spirit for the first time that Christ was Head of the Church, and the Church His Body was the Fullness of Him.
Paul was in prison when he announced to the "prince of the power of the air" that he was not a prisoner of Rome; but he, along with all the redeemed, had been made alive together with Christ, had been raised together with Christ, had been seated together with Christ.
Paul may have been in prison, but he was not Rome's nor satan's prisoner. No! in spit of all circumstances to the contrary, he was a prisoner of the Lord, he was in his Eternal Position, he was IN CHRIST. And, beloved, no matter what our situation or circumstances, this is our Position also - we are IN CHRIST. So, whether we be those who are called on to suffer such as Paul, and many others - we are IN CHRIST; or whether we take our stand as we go about our normal daily lives, as many of the Ephesian and Colossian Christians were doing when they received this glorious letter, we are IN CHRIST - we too are the prisoners of the Lord.
If the motive and goal of our life is to be always fully and thoroughly and intimately knowing our Lord, then we too will be enabled to pray spontaneously in the Spirit. So, whether we re mothers and fathers taking care of our children, or whether we are living and working at our daily routine, or whether we are imprisoned by our circumstances, or whether we are actually gathered together with other Christians to pray, we can pray in the Spirit. - We can flow together in prayer, we can comprehend with all the saints the Greatness and Fullness of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We can pray together with Paul: "For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."
The Great Petition of the Holy Spirit for the Body of Christ
Verse 14: For this cause I bow my knees, yes, we praise God our Father for the standing that we have in Christ Jesus. We have seen that this standing was planned before time, has reached throughout all time, and is now moving to the consummation of the fullness of time. Even as the revelation of our God for His Eternal Plan and as the Spirit led him to pray to God for the consummation of this Plan, so we find ourselves "bowing the knees" in praise and prayer - we, as His servants, bow in humility before our Father - that all His desire b fulfilled. We bow our knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Verse 15: Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, for His family is united in His name. We, being justified, are united in the person and Character of our God; and, thus, we have been given the authority of His name. "We have passed from death into life," into new ownership and partnership with Him,
Verse 16: that He would grant you; according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man ... Herein is the earnest entreaty made to God for us - that He may grant to us a sovereign gift of strengthening in the inward man, according to the wealth of His immeasurable resources, that we may be made strong with spiritual power through the Third Person of the Godhead, the Great Agent in this process of invigoration. Now we have "the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" to strengthen us in our innermost being that we may live in the good of all the blessings that He has secured for us. And what gracious blessings God has vouchsafed to us - Oh, how we pray to be enlarged in spiritual capacity,
Verse 17: That Christ may dwell in your (our) hearts by faith; that He "might finally settle down and feel completely at home," "that our Christ may take up His lasting habitation, by means of faith, in (our) hearts; ... and this "by faith," " is (our) taking Him at His Word". That ye (we), being rooted (founded) and grounded in love, being fixed in Him and residing in the Father's love,
Verse 18: may be able to comprehend with all saints, that we may be made full strong enough to grasp by insight, what is the breadth, which is boundless, and length, which is endless, and height, which measureless, and depth, which is fathomless and exhaustless - that we may become strong enough, fully able in the inner man through God's Spirit, to comprehend with all saints God's love in Christ.
~T. Austin-Sparks~
(continued with # 35)
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