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Our apostle having exhorted the Ephesians in the foregoing verse, not to faint at his tribulation for the gospel, here he puts up a most affectionate prayer to God for them on the same account: For this cause, and in order to this end, I bow my knees, & c. Now in this affectionate and most excellent prayer of the apostle, we have several particulars worthy of our notice and remark.
As, 1. The humble gesture which the apostle used in his prayers, I bow my knees; thereby expressing the reverent frame of his heart in prayer.
Learn hence, That the gestures which we use in prayer should be such as may best express our reverence of God, and denote our profound humility before him.
Observe, 2. The person prayed to, God, under the appellation of a Father, and, in particular, as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ: I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed be God, that believers and Christ have one and the same father; he by nature, we by grace; he by eternal generation, we by gracious adoption.
By virtue of this relation we may expect to be heard in prayer as Christ was, and to be helped in our distresses, as Christ was, and in God's good time to be possessed of the inheritance of children, as Christ is.
Observe, 3. The title given to the church: it is styled God's family, his household: all the saints on earth, whether Jews or Gentiles, and all the glorified angels and saints in heaven, do make but one family. There is but one catholic or universal church, comprehending all its members both in heaven and earth: and all within the church are of one kindred and line, descended of one common Father; and his Family is named, that is, united under Christ, he being the head of all.
Observe, 4. The mercy prayed for, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man Eph_3:16.
Where note, 1. The mercy itself: spiritual strength, strength in the inner man, to enable them them to bear afflictions, to endure persecutions, to resist temptations, to grapple with all their spiritual enemies in the progress of their Christian course.
Note, 2. The fountain from whence all spiritual strength flows; and that is, from the Holy Spirit; Strengthened with might by his spirit. It is the Holy spirit of God that constantly renews the believers strength, by upholding and actuating their graces, which otherwise would fade and wither, would languish and die.
So many and so mighty are our spiritual enemies, that we have to wrestle with and strive against, that except we be under propt and strengthened by the almighty power of the Holy Spirit in the inner man, we cannot keep our ground, and much less get ground of our enemy, but shall become an easy prey to every temptation.
Note, 3. The moving, impelling, or impulsive cause, from whence the foregoing mercy is expected to proceed and flow, namely, from the rich and glorious mercy of God: God grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened.
In all our approaches to God for any blessings, especially for spiritual blessings, it is our duty to direct the eye of our faith to that inexhaustible fountain of rich mercy and almighty power, in God, whereby he is both able and willing to bestow upon us whatever is agreeable to his holy will: God grant you according to the richness of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man.