Eph. 3:14-21. Second Prayer

14-16. " I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man."
A prayer in association with the Father. Remark here, a distinction between this and the previous prayer 1:3, 17, " The God and Father," etc. Here it is " the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ," shelving a distinct. realization of Christian association with the family.
17-19. " That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be. able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God."
Every day we need to learn more of this height and depth of love. In the first prayer, the apostle's desire is that we may know the position of the church as so set in the heavenlies; for the more we know of God's glory, the more we are fitted to understand His love who brought us into such a place. Therefore this wondrous mystery had been hidden so long because the church was not prepared to receive it until now;-"Strengthened with might by His Spirit" that they " might be filled with all the fullness of God." He first prays that they may know what the church is, and then that they may practically learn this, and enter into it. In the first prayer, he asks that they may have the kno. w-ledge of God; in this prayer, that they may know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge. We may find here a sevenfold blessing supplicated, closing with asking that we might be " filled with all the fullness of God," beyond this the apostle cannot go, therefore he casts us on Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think (20, 21): and who will have glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.