Neil Silverberg continues the In Christ series by taking us into Paul’s soaring prayer in Ephesians 3:14–21. Rather than asking God to change circumstances first, Neil shows how Paul prays people into the truth—beginning with the Father, aiming at the inner life, and expecting the Spirit to work from the inside out. What if our first prayer was for power in the inner being, for Christ to truly make a home in us, for roots that go down into love, and for nothing less than the fullness of God?

Walking phrase by phrase, Neil traces Paul’s four cascading requests. First is inner strength—real resilience that holds when the outer self is wasting away. Second is faith that welcomes Jesus into every “room” of life, not as a guest but as the owner with the keys. Drawing on the beloved picture from My Heart—Christ’s Home, he invites us to let Christ rearrange the mind’s library, the appetites’ dining room, the living room of friendships, and even the closet of secrets. Third comes being rooted and grounded in love—not striving to love God more, but receiving strength to grasp the breadth and length and height and depth of Christ’s love with all the saints. Neil weaves in a memorable window from church history—the Puritans’ “kisses of God”—to illustrate how doctrine is meant to be felt as well as understood. Finally, Paul asks that we be filled with all the fullness of God, a Spirit-given saturation that displaces self-rule with holy desire and satisfaction in God.

The message crescendos with Paul’s doxology: God is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, and he does it according to the power at work within us. Neil anchors this in God’s sovereignty, omnipotence, and glory, and shows how Scripture lifts our expectations—from the Red Sea to the storm on Galilee. Along the way, he calls us to kneel before the Father, invite Christ’s lordship over our thoughts and appetites, lean into the church to comprehend love together, and worship with confidence that God’s power is not a force we wield but a Person who lovingly rules us.

If your prayers have grown small or tired, let this teaching in the In Christ series expand your frame. Listen, let the words wash over you, and then try praying Ephesians 3:14–21 over someone you love this week.

We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!
Find us on Facebook & Instagram