"FOR THIS CAUSE I BOW MY KNEES UNTO THE FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, OF WHOM THE WHOLE FAMILY IN HEAVEN AND EARTH IS NAMED."
Verses 1 and 14 begin with the same three words: "FOR THIS CAUSE."
The words, "FOR THIS CAUSE," refer back to Paul’s description in chapter 2 of what the Gentiles had been by nature and what they had become through union with Christ. Their astonishing rise from poverty and death to riches and glory drives Paul to pray that they will always live in the practical enjoyment of their exalted position.
Prayer is a great mystery. I don’t understand how prayer works; I just know pray does work.
I. PRAYER DOES NOT NEED TO BE ELOQUENT OR LONG IN ORDER TO BE EFFECTIVE.
J. Vernon McGee wrote,
Have you noticed that Paul’s prayers are brief? Both prayers here in Ephesians . . . are brief. In fact, all the prayers of Scripture are quite brief. The Lord Jesus said that we are not to use vain repetition as the heathen do—they think they will be heard for their much speaking. Moses’ great prayer for Israel is recorded in only three verses. Elijah, on top of Mount Carmel as he stood alone for God against the prophets of Baal, prayed a great prayer which is only one verse long. Nehemiah’s great prayer is recorded in only seven verses. The prayer of our Lord in John 17 takes only three minutes to read. But the briefest prayer is that of Simon Peter, "… Lord, save me" (Matt. 14:30). He cried out this prayer when he was beginning to sink beneath the waves of the Sea of Galilee. Some people think that was not a prayer because it was so short. My friend, that was a prayer, and it was answered immediately. If Simon Peter had prayed like some of us preachers pray on Sunday morning, "Lord, Thou who art the omnipotent, the omniscient, the omnipresent One…." he would have been twenty feet under water before he got to his request. I tell you, he got down to business. Prayer should be brief and to the point.
II. PRAYER IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE TO US.
Paul wrote his letter to the Ephesians from prison. He describes himself in verse 1 as "the prisoner of Jesus Christ."
Though Paul was a prisoner, though he could not visit the Ephesians, though he could not preach to them, there was one thing he could still do: HE COULD PRAY.
There are times when Christians seem to be in some kind of prison. You may be confined to a hospital bed, you may be confined to your home, you may think you’re unable to do anything for the Lord, but there is one thing you can always so: YOU CAN ALWAYS PRAY. No one and nothing can take prayer away from you.
We find in Paul’s letters that he was constantly praying for other believers:
• "God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that WITHOUT CEASING I make mention of you always in my prayers" (Rom. 1:9).
• "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, ALWAYS in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy" (Phil. 1:3-4).
• "We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying ALWAYS for you" (Col. 1:3).
• "We give thanks to God ALWAYS for you all, making mention of you in our prayers" (1 Thess. 1:2).
Isn’t true that we have time to do many things that are not at all necessary or even profitable. How much time are we giving to prayer for other people?
III. PRAYER IS ALWAYS AS NECESSARY AS INSTRUCTION IS.
It would be a great mistake if we got the impression that Paul was praying for the Ephesians only because he could not preach to them. Were he out of prison he would still be praying for them.
A. It is as essential that we should pray for ourselves as it is that we should instruct ourselves.
Paul coveted the prayers of other Christians:
• "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; and FOR ME, that utterance my be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make know the mystery of the gospel" (Eph. 6:18-19).
• "Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God FOR ME; that I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judea; and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints; that I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed" (Rom. 15:30-32).
• "Brethren, PRAY FOR US" (1 Thess. 5:25).
• "Finally, brethren, PRAY FOR US, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is in you" (2 Thess. 3:1).
B. It is as essential that we should pray for others as it is that we should instruct others.
You cannot reason anyone into the Christian faith. You can give the reasons for believing but you cannot reason a person into belief.
We must realize that while we are instructing others, we must also be praying for them. It is only as the Holy Spirit works in their hearts and minds that they can receive the truth (see 1:17-18a).
IV. PRAYER SHOULD NOT BE REDUCED TO FORMALISM.
"I BOW MY KNEES"
This expression confronts us with the whole question of our posture in prayer.
Paul is not prescribing a required posture for prayer. If you search the Scriptures you will find that there is not a certain posture that is required for true prayer:
• As Abraham interceded for Sodom and Gomorrah, he "STOOD yet before the Lord" (Gen. 18:22).
• When David prayed about the building of the temple, he "came and SAT before the Lord" (1 Chron. 17:16).
• As Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane on the His betrayal, He "FELL ON HIS FACE, and prayed" (Matt. 26:39).
Why did Paul bow his knees as he prayed for the Ephesians? This is the natural posture for prayer during times of intense emotion.
"And when [Paul] had thus spoken, he KNEELED DOWN, and prayed with them all. And they all WEPT SORE, and fell on Paul’s neck, and kissed him, SORROWING most of all for the words which he spake, that they should see his face no more. And they accompanied him unto the ship" (Acts 20:36-38).
Bowing the knees is valueless unless it is truly an expression of the state of one’s heart.
V. PRAYER MUST ALWAYS BE REVERENT.
"I BOW MY KNEES UNTO THE FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST."
Bowing the knees represents an attitude of submission, of recognition that one is in the presence of someone who is of much higher rank, dignity, and authority.
After the psalmist proclaims the Lord as "the rock of our salvation . . . . a great God, and a great King above all gods," and Creator of all the earth, he says, "O come, let us worship and BOW DOWN: let us KNEEL before the Lord our maker" (Ps. 95:1-6).
The little word "UNTO" means "face to face." Paul bows his knees in order to come face to face with God. The moment we realize that prayer means coming face to face with God, we cannot but pray reverently.
When Isaiah had his vision of God he said, "Woe is me, for I am a man of unclean lips" (6:5). When John had his vision on the risen Lord he fell to the ground as a dead man (Rev. 1:17).
There would be no need to say this if we had some real conception of the glory of God. If we have but a glimpse of God, we would tremble at being face to face with Him.
Paul wrote in 3:12, "In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him." How vital it is this verse should be coupled with "I bow my knees," in order to remind us that boldness does not mean brazenness, that confidence does not mean an easy familiarity.
"Let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with REVERENCE AND GODLY FEAR: for our God is a consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:28-29).
If ever a man knew God, and if ever a man knew the way into God’s presence, it was this mighty Apostle; and yet he "bows his knees." He knew whom he was approaching. We do have "boldness and access with confidence," but that should be accompanied by "reverence and godly fear" for "our God is a consuming fire."
VI. PRAYER IS COMING FACE TO FACE WITH OUR FATHER.
"OF WHOM THE WHOLE FAMILY IN HEAVEN AND EARTH IS NAMED"
"THE WHOLE FAMILY IN HEAVEN AND EARTH" refers to the saints of every age—those now "IN HEAVEN" and those still remaining on "EARTH."
"ONE GOD AND FATHER OF ALL" (4:6)
"OF THE HOUSEHOLD OF GOD" (2:19)
Paul may have used this form of expression in order to teach these Ephesian Christians not to think of themselves any longer as Gentiles. They were to think of themselves now as the children of God, as belonging to God’s great family.
You may be unknown by the world, you may feel that you are forgotten, that no one knows anything about you. But if you are "in Christ," if you are a Christian, you belong to God, you are in His family, and your Father has His eye on you.
YOU ARE AS MUCH HIS CHILD AS THE GREAT SAINT WHO HAS EVER LIVED. Think about that!
CONCLUSION
I. PRAYER DOES NOT NEED TO BE ELOQUENT OR LONG IN ORDER TO BE EFFECTIVE.
II. PRAYER IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE TO US.
III. PRAYER IS ALWAYS AS NECESSARY AS INSTRUCTION.
IV. PRAYER SHOULD NOT BE REDUCED TO FORMALISM.
V. PRAYER MUST ALWAYS BE REVERENT.
VI. PRAYER IS COMING FACE TO FACE WITH OUR FATHER.
