Sunday, November 03, 2013

YIC: D 28 of 30 Do You Really Believe Jesus Loves You?

Jesus loves you. How do you feel when you read that? Do you doubt it because you're suffering? Do you disbelieve it because there's great sin in your life? Do you dismiss it because you're so busy with life that you don't have time to think about it?

If so, then remember the prayer Paul prayed for the church, saying:

I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

In praying this prayer, Paul didn't doubt that God loves His people, but He did doubt that they truly knew it, really believed it, and were experiencing it. Many Christians today know God loves them, but they know it like someone who takes a driver's education class but never drives a car.

Paul wanted the love of God, like a plant rooted deeply in nourishment and able to flourish, to be a deep root in people's souls. He wanted the church to know that God's love is wide enough to welcome anyone, long enough to stretch from the beginning to the end of time, deep enough to reach down to the worst of sinners, and high enough to transport us to God's heavenly kingdom.

Read Ephesians 3:17-19

Why did Paul pray for the church to be rooted and grounded in love?

Why would Paul want to pray such a prayer for Christians?

Prayer

Pray Ephesians 3:17-19 forans 3:17-19

Ephesians 3:17-19 NKJV

17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

1 comment:

  1. I think Paul prayed for the chuch this way because like today, some Christians look down on people who are still in sin, even if they are in the church. I being a wiccan for many years was looked down on by many Christians, many didn't even attempt to reach out for me, which in fact made me even more rebelious towards "their religion" so much so that I destroyed many peoples faith during that time. It became like a game to me in a sence that I could show churches that their faith was not real and neither was their God... I was half right, those people had shakey faith at best, but their God is very real! He is THE God, He is Almighty and Awesome. He IS the ONE and ONLY God!

    Sorry that kinda became a little rant.. Anyways, I think Paul, used this prayer this way simply because he had seen where the chuch was starting to have misgivings, just like the church is starting to have today. Its becoming a hollow body and needs to be filled again...

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