Rooted And Grounded

I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. Ephesians 3:16-17

PAUL HAD THE HEART OF A PARENT —a praying parent —toward the believers in Ephesus. His letter to them keeps turning into prayers for them. What Paul wanted for his spiritual children in Ephesus, we also desire for our children.

We want our children to have Spirit-given strength in their inner being, specifically the strength to comprehend something that is incomprehensible apart from this divine strength —the expansive nature of the love of Christ. We want our children’s lives to be rooted and grounded in the love of Christ. We don’t want them to just sing “Jesus Loves Me.” We want them to believe, deep in their souls, that they are loved by Christ. As their roots go deep into the love of Christ, we know they will be able to withstand the blows of a cruel world. As they become more and more grounded in his love, they won’t be as vulnerable to false promises.

There is a power at work in our children —the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. So as we pray for them, we know that the one we pray to has the power to bring about more than we can ask or think.

I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower ________ with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in ________’s heart as ________ trusts in him. ________’s roots will grow down into God’s love and keep ________ strong.

And may ________ have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May ________ experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then ________ will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within ________, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.