Let’s be honest: most of our prayers are weak. They’re soft. Safe. Domestic.
“Help me have a good day.”
“Please heal Aunt Carol’s bunion.”
“Let the traffic be light.”
We toss these up like God is our cosmic butler, here to make life smooth, not holy. And when Paul drops to his knees in Ephesians 3:14-21, he blows that kind of praying to pieces.
“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father… that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being…” (Ephesians 3:14,16 ESV)
Did you catch that? Paul isn’t praying for a good day filled with sunshine. He’s begging God to dig into the deepest parts of your soul and rebuild you from the inside out. That’s not a Hallmark holiday wish. That’s spiritual surgery.
From Pathetic to Powerful
When Paul prays, he’s not tossing up spiritual fluff. He’s down on his knees, pleading for real transformation. Not circumstantial tweaks, but a soul overhaul. He’s praying for a strength that doesn’t come from inside, but from the riches of God’s glory.
That’s not pathetic. That’s powerful.
And it raises a question: Why are we so content to pray small when God offers so much more?
Paul’s prayer gets right to the core:
- That you would be strengthened with power.
- That Christ may dwell in your hearts.
- That you’d be rooted and grounded in love.
- That you’d comprehend the height, depth, length, and breadth of God’s love.
- That you’d be filled with all the fullness of God.
Let’s not miss it. Paul is praying for interior transformation that leads to explosive faith and love. He’s asking that believers wouldn’t just know about Jesus, but that Jesus would dwell, that means make his home, in their hearts. Not as a weekend guest, but as the owner of the house.
More Than Surface Fixes
Most of us pray like we’re asking for God to wash the windows. Paul prays like God is tearing out walls and rebuilding the foundation.
We say: “Help me not be stressed.”
Paul prays: “Lord, fill them with Your Spirit so they stand strong no matter what hits them.”
We pray: “Fix this annoying person in my life.”
Paul prays: “Root them in love so deep that even enemies feel like neighbors.”
This is not about better behavior. This is about spiritual transformation.
What Are You Settling For?
Paul closes the prayer with one of the most powerful doxologies in the Bible:
“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us…” (Ephesians 3:20 ESV)
You know what that means? Even your wildest prayer is still undershooting what God is capable of. We pray weak because we think weak. We ask small because we dream small. And God says, “I can do more. Infinitely more.”
It’s not about getting everything you want. It’s about becoming everything He created you to be.
So Here’s the Challenge
Stop praying like God’s only job is to keep you comfortable. Stop praying like the deepest work God can do is make sure your Amazon package arrives on time.
Start praying like Paul:
- On your knees.
- Asking for power.
- Expecting inner transformation.
- Begging to know a love that surpasses knowledge.
- Craving the fullness of God, not the convenience of life.
Because the Spirit of God didn’t come to make you nice. He came to make you new.
So next time you pray, skip the traffic updates. Get real. Get honest. Get deep. And pray with power. Then the traffic updates, grandma’s broken toe and your disobedient kiddo will take up different head space.
Thank you for such inspiration