Effectual Prayer Empowered by the Spirit - Don Currin

I want you to open your Bibles
if you would tonight

to Ephesians 3.

You certainly appreciate this more
sure word of prophecy

as much as I do,

or you would not be here tonight.

And with that said,

I want to delve into one of Paul's prayers

that he has recorded for us in the

holy Scriptures for us tonight.

I want you to look with
me here at Ephesians 3.

I'm just going to read the text

from verse 14 through the
end of the chapter.

A rich epistle it is.

And Paul bears his heart.

Verse 14

"For this reason, I bow my knees

to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

from whom the whole family

in heaven and earth is named.

That He would grant you

according to the riches of His glory

to be strengthened with might

through His Spirit in the inner man,

that Christ may dwell in your

hearts through faith;

that you, being rooted and
grounded in love,

may be able to comprehend
with all the saints

what is the width and length
and depth and height

and to know the love of Christ

which passes knowledge,

that you may be filled

with all the fullness of God.

Now to Him who is able to do

exceedingly, abundantly

above all that we could ask or think,

according to the power that works in us,

to Him be glory in the church

by Christ Jesus to all generations

forever and ever, Amen.

Let's pray once again together.

Father, You know how desparately

we need a visitation from You,

and when we look at this prayer,

we see one of the most astounding

implications is that this is really

the essence of revival praying.

This is what the church needs

to bring it to a dimension

of spiritual reality that sadly

in most circles today has been

long forgotten.

We would ask tonight that

You might draw near

and speak to us.

We know that our dependence

must fall utterly upon You.

There is nothing,

even the best of men,

could come and
articulate Your truth tonight

and perhaps we would be encouraged

and intellectually stimulated,

but our life would not experience

an abiding, sustained change

that would perpetuate Your glory,

unless the Holy Spirit falls

upon the place.

So we would ask tonight

that You would give us something

that is experimental;

that is profoundly full of reality;

that Your people would be encouraged;

that this would truly be a time

of refreshing from the
presence of the Lord.

Lord, we beg of You tonight,

grant every lady,

every man here,

all the young people,

a vision of Yourself,

and such a work of Your Spirit,

that would cause the truth

to dance in our hearts.

Please come tonight,

and revive Your people.

We ask in Christ's name,

Amen.

In the way of introduction here tonight,

it is interesting that the preface

of Paul's prayer for the Ephesians

begins with a reason.

He says, "for this reason,"

back in verse 14.

Commentators, quite honestly,

are divided upon what the reason is.

There are some that believe that

the reason is that Paul said,

"I'm held captive," is for preaching

the Gospel and the benefits

that it produces for the Gentiles.

Other commentators believe that the reason

speaks of the advantage

that the Gospel affords

those who are despairing.

As Paul has weathered the storm,

as he's endured persecution,

he's drawing from the Gospel

as a divine buoy to buoy him up

in the midst of his adversities.

Now, in the line of all that the Father

of the Lord Jesus Christ has taken

the initiative to accomplish

both for Jew and Gentile.

Paul is moved to drop to his knees

as you read on.

And pray that the benefits of the Gospel

might be fully grasped by the saints

at Ephesus.

His posture in prayer,
brethren, is no sham.

It's not a hypocritical gesture.

It is full of reality.

He is in dead earnest here.

As he expresses his heart in dropping

before God and uttering a plea

from the uttermost depths of his heart.

The prayer here that he prays

possesses both petition and praise.

Paul requests that the Ephesians

might be strengthened with might

through the Spirit

in the inner man.

And then he goes on to express

his benediction in prayer

as he tells who is able to do

exceedingly, abundantly above

all that we could ever ask or think.

This afternoon, we will only look at

Paul's petition.

You'll notice in verse 15 now,

it reveals the impartiality of God

as He is a Father

both to Jew and to Gentile.

From both groups,

the Scripture here says

He has called His elect

and united them as the whole family

in heaven and earth.

Therefore, listen:

the phrase refers to a common bond

of all who have been reconciled

with the Father through Christ.

It does not refer to God giving

each of His children individual names.

Rather, it speaks of all God's children,

whether Jew or Gentile.

Whether they are in heaven or earth,

being under the same Father,

and in other words, He says

that all are the same
spiritual faith family

that are under the name of the Lord God.

Al Barnes made this statement:

"The expression is taken from the

custom in a family,

where all bear the name of the

head of the family

and the meaning is that

all in heaven and on earth

are united under one Head

and constitute one faith community."

Now we're laying a foundation.

Please bear with me for a moment.

When you look at Paul's petition here,

you might get the impression that

he's asking multiple blessings

for the Ephesians.

But it's interesting,

he's only petitioning God for one thing:

that they might be strengthened with might

through the Spirit, in the inner man.

The petition is that the inner man

of every believer would be quickened

to grasp this request.

The saints in Ephesus.

That they would encounter four

spiritual entities.

These are blessed things.

Namely, that Christ would
dwell in their hearts.

That they would be
rooted and grounded in love.

And that they might
know the love of Christ

that surpasses intellect.

That they might know it in their heart,

this spiritual reality,

and then a total domination of God

in all of life.

We'll come back to that in a moment.

But you'll note, brethren,

that while Paul never
uses the term "revival,"

he is describing the nature of one.

For these four things,

they are the result of being
strengthened with might

by God's Spirit, are characteristic

of global awakenings in the history

of the church.

For example, you see that he mentions

a greater dimension of love,

both in love for others

and the Father's love for us.

Often in church history,

great times of revival,

times of spiritual awakening

are described as showers or

torrents of love.

Love for God.

Love for the saints.

Love for the unregenerate.

It's characterized by showers of love.

So with that said tonight,

let me share with you three things.

First of all,

the desperate need for effectual prayer.

Paul is in earnest,

in Ephesians 3:14,

"For this reason, I bow my knees

to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,"

and then verse 16,

"that He would grant you..."

Now, brothers and sisters,

I remind you that the apostle

was a praying man.

He was a living epistle

of intercessory prayer.

He was aware that he had written to them

and prayed for them,

that his prayer would not be in vain,

because he depended on the Holy Spirit

to strengthen them to lay hold of

these glorious realities.

But he prayed.

Spurgeon said that prayer is the rope

that rings the bell in the ear of God.

Someone defined intercession years ago

as a ballistic missile
that can be launched

from a launching pad

no larger than a place to kneel,

travel at the speed of thought,

land precisely on target
thousands of miles away,

and there is no defense against it.

It's prayer.

Are you a praying person?

Are you a praying man?

Now here's something that's interesting.

With all of his credentials,

with all of his ministerial

and spiritual pedigree,

Paul knew that that was not sufficient

to bring about a work of God.

He cast himself upon God in prayer.

Here's a thought:

Do we pray?

Do we know anything of our own

utter weakness?

Is our prayerless an acknowledgement

that we are too dependent

on ourselves?

Let me remind you

that prayer is the language of the poor,

the poverty stricken.

And those who posture themselves

as beggars,

win the heart of God in prayer.

You see, Paul prayed,

and he prayed often.

You find his ongoing pleas

for the Ephesian saints are revealed

in this epistle alone.

Consider how he often prays.

He prayed for them in Ephesians 1:16-23

when he asked God to give them

the Spirit of wisdom and revelation

for their spiritual advantage

and knowing what the hope

of their calling was,

the riches of the glory

of the inheritance,

and the exceeding riches or

greatness of His power

toward them.

Now listen,

listen for a moment,

he also prays here in Ephesians 3

for their understanding.

Through that understanding,

there would be a divine enablement

wrought by the Holy Spirit,

whereby they might be

strengthened with might.

And he's praying and believing God

that they might grasp these

glorious benefits,

which are fourfold as a result

of being strengthened,

enabled by the Spirit.

He prays again you find

in Ephesians 6:18 for the saints.

When he tells them
that he's praying always

with all prayer and supplication

for all the saints.

Brothers and sisters,

we don't put on the whole armor of God

just to overcome evil.

We don't put on the whole armor of God

to obtain some prized object

that we're believing God for.

That's a part of it.

But you find in the context,

the purpose of putting on

the whole armor of God

is to pray.

To supplicate in prayer.

This is the thing

that we should underscore.

Listen, Paul prayed.

He prayed because he recognized

his inability to effect change.

And he prayed faithfully because

he continued to be consciously aware

of his own helplessness.

You see, we pray by virtue

of the fact that we
recognize in some measure

our utter helplessness before God.

But the spiritually proud,

the self-sufficient,

find it very difficult
to maintain continuity

when it comes to pleading before

the throne of God.

Paul prayed.

He prayed earnestly for the Spirit.

Listen,

while we might not like to hear it,

this I believe in our hour

is a tribute to self-sufficiency.

Our own prayerlessness.

Do you pray?

Can you continue in prayer?

Do you know anything

of the prayer of importunity?

Perhaps God many times uses

the very ministry of prayer

to wean us off of our own self

and independence of Him in ministry.

But there's a second thing

I want you to see in the text.

And that is in chapter 3:16.

And that is the need of
the Spirit's enablement.

The Spirit's enablement.

Notice once again the phrase,

"to be strengthened with might

through His Spirit."

It's interesting.

Throughout Paul's epistles,

the churches and individuals

he uses such phrases as,

"by the Spirit,"

"through the Spirit,"

"in the Spirit."

Do we know this type of prayer?

To be utterly dependent
upon the Holy Spirit?

He's dependent on the
Father for his petitions,

but he relies on the Holy Spirit

to quicken those petitions in the hearts

of his people.

In Ephesians alone, you see

the apostle's great consciousness

of the Holy Spirit.

For example, back in Ephesians 2:22,

there he's speaking of the church,

he says it's built together

for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Ephesians 3:5

He speaks of a revelation that comes

by the Spirit to His holy

apostles and prophets.

In Ephesians 3:16,

there is our text,

to be strengthened with might

by His Spirit in the inner man.

Ephesians 4:3

Endeavoring to keep
the unity of the Spirit

in the bond of peace.

Look at Ephesians 6:17.

There he speaks of
the sword of the Spirit,

which is the Word of God.

And then the very next verse,

verse 18, praying always with all

prayer and supplication in the Spirit.

I ask you tonight, friend,

do you have an ongoing

dependence upon the Holy Spirit?

You say, well, I believe that I do.

But once again, to reiterate

what we've already covered.

Is it reflected in prayer?

Are you seeking Him because you know

that there is nothing that
you could engineer?

Nothing that you could mentally concoct

that could really change the course

of someone's life?

God does all that He can to wean us,

once again, off ourself to make us

earnestly dependent upon the Holy Spirit.

Listen to this.

It was Ravenhill years ago who said

God does not answer prayer;

He answers desperate prayer.

Do we know anything of the dimension

of prayer of this sort?

To be dead earnest in prayer.

The point I want to make

is how desparately we need to be

consciously aware

of the Holy Spirit

to make the things of the Gospel real

to people.

Real to those who are unconverted.

And alive in the hearts of those

who do know the Savior.

Have you ever heard
someone make this statement?

Describing the work of the Holy Spirit.

It's hard to explain.

I have a difficult time articulating

exactly what I sensed.

What I sensed God through a manifestation

of His presence was accomplishing.

Spurgeon talked about at times

how there were words that

came from his mouth in preaching,

that he did not direct.

It was like they came impulsively.

I've heard people talk about

the sanctifying work of the Spirit.

Or how He began to move

in answer to prayer.

And the bottom line is,

well, I'll try, but I just
really can't explain it.

You know, perhaps, we need

that kind of religion today.

A religion that we cannot explain

in human terms.

Well, here is the major thrust

and implication of the message tonight.

If you would, look at a third thing

with me in the text.

And that is the desparate need

of experimental reality.

He says back in Ephesians 3:17-19

that there are four things that will be

the consequence of being strengthened

with might by the Spirit

in the inner man.

The first thing notes in verse 17,

that Christ may dwell in your hearts

through faith.

Now brothers and sisters, listen.

What Paul is saying in essence here

is that you might know a felt Christ.

A felt Christ.

When the Spirit of God takes the field

in genuine awakening,

Jesus becomes real.

There is no greater fulfillment.

Listen.

You will notice the word

that refers to something previous

when he says that Christ may

dwell in your hearts through faith.

Something previous that has occurred,

once again, connected with the fulfillment

of this petition that they're

strengthened by the Spirit.

The matter that the word points to

is His work.

The Spirit's work.

He makes Christ real.

It is marvelous, brethren.

A very marvelous thing

when the Spirit of God comes

and makes one keenly aware

that Jesus is in the midst.

What we're looking at
here in this first point,

a felt Christ,

and the other three glorious entities

is radically subjective.

And I would say in
passing tonight, friend,

I'm all for the intellect.

I'm all for sharpening our minds.

Accruing a greater
theological understanding.

But we cannot afford for it to stop there.

Does your theology make your heart dance?

Does it move you to obedience?

Do you know anything of a felt Christ?

Is the reward of earnest prayer

in utter dependence upon the Holy Spirit?

Interestingly, know that we have the

person of Jesus resident within

in the person of the Holy Spirit.

But what does Paul refer to when he says

that Christ may dwell in
your hearts through faith?

Listen.

He is speaking of a
Spirit-wrought awareness

which entails an enlivening of our faith

that we might lay hold of the reality

of the Christ that is about us.

This is revival.

This is revival.

It is the manifestation of His glory.

Secondly, look at another thing

that this strengthening
of the Spirit produces.

That you being rooted and grounded

in love.

In essence, what Paul is saying,

that there is an unchanging posture

of love in your life
that you will encounter.

Now, it's interesting here,

the phrase makes no qualification.

It's not just speaking
of our love for God.

But rather, I believe that it addresses

every relationship in our lives.

Our love for sinners.

Our love for saints.

Our love in the face of hostility.

Even people, perhaps, that we have

some measure of contempt or aversion for.

Don't miss the point.

When the Spirit strengthens, friend,

all of a sudden,

these issues that have
divided you and somebody else

begin to fade away
in the light of eternity.

You become so rooted and grounded in love,

your love doesn't vacillate on the basis

of how people treat you.

Even when there is no tangible sense

of the presence of God,

you still love Him.

And it's nothing short of fervant

when the Spirit comes.

You see, friend, the point is,

to be rooted and grounded in love

means that it does not fluctuate

or change or vacillate

depending on our circumstances.

We still love God,

even when we don't sense His presence.

Even when we're struggling to get

anything out of the Word,

or we're having a difficult time

connecting in prayer.

We still love Him.

And we still love our enemies.

And we love the most undesirable people

in our churches.

Why?

Because we've been rooted and grounded

in love through the strengthening work

of the Holy Spirit.

You see that?

The idea here is that the grace of love

has been so firmly planted in our hearts

that it affords a dimension of love

that extends to all relationships,

not just to God, but all.

So here's a third thing.

Paul said that they might be

strengthened with might by the Spirit.

In verse 18, that they may be able

to comprehend with all the saints

what is the width, and length,
and depth, and height

in reference to the love of God.

To know the love of Christ

which passes knowledge.

It's interesting the phrase,

"to know the love of Christ."

The Greek word means to

perceptibly feel.

I feel it.

And when he says,

to know the love of Christ

which passes knowledge,

it's the picture of something

being thrown beyond intellect.

This, my friend, is not cerebral.

This is not mental.

This, once again, is radically subjective.

When He comes,

when He answers this prayer

to be strengthened with might,

I tell you, friend,

you begin to feel the love of Christ.

It's hard to measure

the depth.

You can't take it all in.

It's an overwhelming thing.

The word comprehend here

means to spiritually perceive

or grasp a dimension of Christ's love

that surpasses what you know mentally.

Listen.

Matthew Henry said it best

in a very simple, very succinct way.

Where Christ dwells, He swells.

He swells.

And where Christ's love for us dwells,

suddenly when the Spirit strengthens us,

it swells.

It's like an ocean to swim in.

You think these songs on the love of God

were written out of pure intellect?

The deep, deep love of Jesus?

These people encountered something.

He was underscoring that the vastness

of such an infinite love

is explored by faith and
by the Spirit's work.

But then finally,

there's a fourth glorious reality here

that's the product of the strengthening

work of the Holy Spirit.

And that is that you might be filled with

all the fullness of God.

This is very interesting.

Listen.

The reality is that the Ephesians

and each of us might know

the riches of His person;

the person of God.

Think about it with me.

To think that God took the initiative

to send His Son to the world

to not only redeem us,

but to give us the fullness of Himself,

friend, is almost indescribable.

What does the text say?

We're not only filled with God,

but secondly, we're filled

with the fullness of God.

And thirdly, we're filled with

all the fullness of God.

Isn't that what you
came to this meeting for?

Isn't this what you desire?

This is what I long for.

I'm 63 years old, friend.

I don't want to creep
across the finish line.

I'm seeking to preach out of the passion

of wanting more.

God, please, answer this prayer

in my life.

In the lives of our people.

And in the lives of the church.

That they might be filled with

all Your fullness.

Yes, Piper had it right.

God is the Gospel.

By virtue of giving forth His Son,

He sought to give us Himself

in all of His fullness.

So, think with me.

To think that the very God in whom we move

and breathe and have our being,

has given us such a promise,

to be filled with all the fullness of God,

ought to constrain us to pray.

Paul says that we
might be filled with God.

Have you noticed in Paul's writings,

it's a favorite expression?

The fullness. Fullness.

Talks about the fullness of the Gentiles.

Romans 11:25

The fullness of time.
Galatians 4:4.

The fullness of Him
that filleth all in all;

Ephesians 1:23

And the fullness of Christ.
Ephesians 4:13

The fullness of the Godhead in Christ.
Colossians 1:9

And it means here

and I quote Donald Barnes,

"that you may have the richest..."

Now this is great, listen to this.

This will make your heart dance, ok?

"But what the Greek implies here

is that the rich measures of divine

consolation and the very divine presence

itself will be your lot."

What a strengthening agent!

"That you may partake of the entire

enjoyment of God in the most ample measure

in which He bestows
His favors on His people."

That's wonderful.

That's wonderful.

So, I conclude.

I remind you again,

which would be a very fitting reminder.

That this is revival.

This is real, genuine spiritual awakening.

Now, I don't know what your position is

on the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Some people are cessationists,

but if you are a
cessationist here tonight,

it doesn't mean that you don't believe

in the power of the Holy Spirit.

He longs to enable His people,

but we must ask.

We must ask earnestly.

In faith,

for Him to come and give us this sense

of a felt Christ,

an unmoveable love,

and all the fullness of God.

That's my prayer.

Would you join me now in prayer?

Let's look to the Lord.

Let's all stand to our feet.

Let us let the benediction of this session

be that just a few of you,

men and women,

as you feel led right now,

maybe three or four,

would you close this part of the meeting

in prayer by asking God to come

and by His Spirit,

strengthen us with might

that we might know these realities

in Ephesians 3.