Hello,
My name is Jess.
Welcome to this short meditation on the book of Ephesians.
Some parts of the Christian New Testament seem to directly address deeper reflection.
One of those places is Ephesians 3,
14-19.
Paul writes,
For this reason I kneel before the Father,
From whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.
I pray out of his glorious riches that he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
And I pray that you,
Being rooted and established in love,
May have power together with all the Lord's holy people to grasp how long and high is the love of Christ,
And to know this love that surpasses knowledge,
That you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
This passage starts in a praying posture of kneeling.
Get comfortable in whatever posture you prefer to pray.
Put your body in a position to be open to receiving from the Spirit what may need to come your way.
This is not a Lectio Divina,
But I will read portions of the scripture with some silence to pray through this passage.
Paul is praying for his friends to have inner strength and power that Christ roots in our hearts through faith,
And that we would be rooted and established in love.
Then he prays that we would be able to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.
Here is where we will spend our time today.
I have some prompts for reflective prayer for us to try to grasp how wide and long and high and deep God's love has been for us in our lives.
In the Christian tradition,
It is often in the space of silence,
Prayer,
And meditation that God works on our hearts.
So to begin,
Take three big breaths to calm your heart and mind in preparation for prayer.
Let's reflect on how deep God's love has been for us.
Take a moment to consider how God's deep love has taken you through struggle.
Where has God's love been in the struggle?
In your current struggles,
Where has God been?
Is there a way to let God deeper into your present day struggles?
God your love is deep for us.
It touches the deepest part of our struggles and insecurities.
We thank you.
Let's reflect on how wide God's love has been for us.
Take a moment to consider how God's love has brought the right people and situations into our lives for our growth and our good.
Where has God's providence shown up in your life?
Looking out at the 50,
000 foot big picture,
Where has God taken you from?
How has God created the circumstances for the goodness of life?
God your love for us is wide.
It touches all the relationships,
All the circumstances,
And every place we find ourselves in.
We thank you.
Let's reflect on how God's love has been for us.
God it takes the long roads with us.
Take a moment to consider the evidences of God's plans for you.
How has God's plans not been your plans?
But they were just what you needed.
Where has God's guidance been?
Where has the long road of God's love been the steps in your life?
God your love is long for us.
It touches every step of the journey that we have been on.
And we thank you for your love.
Let's reflect on how high God's love has been for us.
Take a moment to consider how God's love has gotten you to the place you are now.
Where is God's love for you on this day,
In this season,
In this moment?
Can you recognize the love of God in this time of your life?
And in the everyday life that you get to lead?
How high is God's love?
God your love for us is high.
It is alive right here and now in our extraordinary and mundane life.
We thank you for your love that reaches the heights of today.
Finally,
Ephesians 3.
19 ends saying that we are filled to the measure of all the fullness of God by knowing this love that surpasses knowledge.
Too often it can be easy to know God's love intellectually.
To know about God's love.
To believe the right things about God's love.
I hope that today's meditation has opened up your awareness to God's love in every part of your life's journey,
Even extending to today.
You have always been loved and you will continue to be loved by your God who loves.
