For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family^[a] in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love,   Ephesians 3:14-17 ESV

I confess that usually I pray small prayers like, “Please Lord, don’t let it rain on the church picnic!” or “Father, we’re broke, please help us pay the bills this month!” Now, there is nothing wrong with those prayers. After all, Jesus taught us to ask for daily bread, and our loving Father gladly opens His hand to bless us with answers to even small needs. But I am humbled when I read this prayer of Saint Paul, recalling that he wrote it while kneeling down on the stone floor of his cell and praying for his friends to be strengthened by the Holy Spirit. Wow! In those circumstances, my first request would be, “Lord get me out of here!” Yes, Paul was human, and in other places he does talk about wanting to be released. But his deepest desire was not for God to liberate him from his situation, but for others to know Jesus. Even more amazing to me, is that Paul’s prayers are still being answered in our lives today. What about us? Are we asking blessings for ourselves or are we moved by the needs of others? Am I seeking good but only temporary blessings, or am I praying for others to know Jesus and have a love for Him in generations to come? Am I praying prayers that God’s answer will only be that the rain holds off during our picnic or am I asking for people to know the love of Christ because only that will last forever?!