INTRO: In the last message we finished the second purpose why Paul prayed for the Ephesian believers. The first purpose was that God would grant them according to the riches of His glory to be strengthened with might through the Spirit in the inner man. We noted that when we hear of another's problems, we immediately center our prayers around that problem. But Paul prays for their spiritual state first of all.
The second purpose was that Christ might dwell in their hearts by faith. We considered that this indwelling is not that which happens at the new birth. He is writing to those who are already believers. This indwelling is a special indwelling. Christ wants to be at home in the hearts, which we said means He wants to be at home in our minds. His dwelling place in us is in the mind. If we are Christians, He is in our minds. But He wants our mind to become His familiar home. I viewed this second purpose as springing out of the first.
We then began to prepare to consider the third purpose why he prayed for them. We only introduced the passage and defined agapee love which is central to the passage. Let me read the passage once more beginning in Ephesians 3:14:
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