14 For this cause I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that you, having been rooted and grounded in love, 18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 And to know the love of Christ, which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

{Our Story Thus Far: God's grand plan to display His glory in blessing believers reverses the effects of the Fall so that we can be formed into a temple/body which His glory can inhabit. His glory is seen only as believers live in unity under the Spirit's control}

I. The Purpose of this Prayer

What God wants versus what we want (See 2:22)

II. The Path to Power

   A. From Strengthening to Dwelling

                1. Strengthening...Believers need power to dwell in unity and thus glorify God, but don't have it.

                                There's never a power shortage in terms of supply, only in demand; we don't get power unless we ask for it.

                                The Holy Spirit is the agent/line for the power to flow; to empower, He confirms truth in the inner man

                2. Dwelling...Christ is at home where we make decisions, when we value the things He values

                                Dwelling is conditional and occurs after strengthening

                                Faith occurs when we believe God is who He said He is and will do what He said He'll do (Heb 11:6)

   B. From Comprehending to Experiencing His Love

                1. We understand God's love only as we've experienced it; we experience it only as we understand it.

                2. Dimensions of God's/our love (self-sacrifice for another's best interest):

                                How many does our love encompass?

                                How long do we love them (long-term commitment)?

                                How deep is the level of our love?

                                To what height does our love elevate others?

   C. From Loving to Filling     The Body is filled/controlled by God only as individual parts are submitted to Him.

                Filling is control (Dozen Whoppers)

                Conditional...based upon the whole process of strengthening...knowing

III. The Purpose of Power

   To bring God glory (make Him look good in the eyes of others)

Questions for Reflection/Discussion/Response:

1. What percent of your prayers are for what you want? What others want? What God wants?

2. How would the HS be hindered from empowering us?  What can we do to help the power flow?

3. What fixtures/furniture would Christ most want to rearrange in you?

4. What prevents us from loving others as God has loved us?  Which dimension of your love needs stretching to mirror God's?

5. What are the easiest areas for Christ to fill/control? The most difficult?