Our life can be a little bit like a home renovation. We are broken and need to be changed. From ourselves we are completely broken and sinful, but God is busy changing us.

But this changing can only happen if we have Christ dwelling or living in us. And we can only have Christ dwelling in us by prayer. That's why Paul is praying here for Christ to live in the people of Ephesus.

And Christ does live in you. As God's children you have the power of Christ in you. But do you feel that? Do you experience Christ's love in your life? Do you really know how much Christ loves you? That's the next thing Paul prays for, that the people will know Christ's love. Christ's love is so great that He can give us more than we even ask him. Sometimes we wonder if God can help us when we keep getting tempted to sin. Or we wonder if Christ can bring our brother or sister who has turned away from the Lord back to himself. Or we wonder if God can take away our sickness or anxieties. Paul prays that we may know that Christ is so great that He can give whatever we ask and even much more. This doesn't mean that God will always give what we ask. Sometimes it is better for us not to have these things, and because God loves us, he won't always give us these things. But that doesn’t change how much love Christ has for us!

Paul also prays, and this should be our prayer also, that because we know the love of Christ, we will show this same love to others. It's so easy to love those who have the same interests as you, but you must pray that you can love all people. In this way we bring glory to God.

Yes, big renovations or changes need to happen in our lives. But that is only possible through prayer — prayer that the power of Christ will dwell in us and make us more like him.

Reflection with your child:

How can you see the love of Christ in your life?

Source: Sermon by Rev. K. Dekker