the first petition Paul prays that the believer may be `strengthened with might

by His spirit in the inner man' in the second, that the believer may be

strengthened to comprehend, and in the conclusion he speaks of Him Who is able

(literally of power), to answer our requests according to the power that

energizeth us.  We have already realized that this prayer is related to the

close of Ephesians 2, the intervening verses being a great parenthesis.  If we

adopt the reading of Ephesians 2:22 that is found in the ms known as Vaticanus,

we have the following  arrangement  as  our  guide:

A

The Church a dwelling place for Christ in spirit.

B

For this cause.

(Here comes the parenthesis)

B

For this cause.

A

That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith.

It is one thing to belong to a company which is `reconciled unto God in

one Body', it is another, for the believer to have an experimental acquaintance

with `Access unto the Father in one Spirit'.  So, it is one thing to be a living

stone in that temple which is the dwelling place of Christ in Spirit, it is

another thing to have an experimental consciousness that Christ dwells in the

heart by faith:

`For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father'.

From every point of view, prayer itself must be much more important than the

attitude adopted.  We can well believe the apostle who prayed `without ceasing'

would many times not appear to be praying at all.  The folded hand, the closed

eye, the bowed head are indeed outward signs of reverence, and where they have a

corresponding equivalent in the heart, and where this attitude of worship is

possible it should be adopted.  The law of Moses contains no laws regarding

prayer, suggesting by the very omission the intensely personal element that

characterized this act of fellowship, even under law.  Men are recorded as

falling on their faces, as standing, as sitting, as bowing, as kneeling, as

lifting up their eyes, as lifting up their hands, but no rules are given.  In

Ephesians 3:14 the apostle says: `I bow my knee'.  Inasmuch as `kneeling' in

Luke 22:41 is made parallel with falling upon one's face (Matt. 26:39), the

Eastern prostration is intended -- not the upright kneeling that is adopted in

the Christian church.  This posture was generally adopted by the early church,

but was forbidden on Sundays, and in the interval between Easter and

Whitsuntide, when standing in public was appointed as a testimony of joy.  Paul

therefore intends us to realize the reverence with which he approached the

Father as he puts forward this central and climax petition.  The prayer of the

apostle is made unto `The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ'.  The opening

Benediction is addressed to `The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ' (Eph.

1:3), a title that is all comprehensive, even as the succeeding verses are all

comprehensive, stretching back as they do to `before' the foundation of the

world, and on to the day of redemption (Eph. 1:14).  The prayer that follows

(Eph. 1:15-19) is addressed to `the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of

glory', where the two titles `God and Father' are separated.  The title `the God

of our Lord Jesus Christ' stands to the church of the mystery in the same way

that `the God of Abraham' stands to the people of Israel.  The title `The Father

of Glory' must be ranged with similar titles as `Father of mercies', `Father of

lights' and `Father of spirits', where the Hebraistic use of `Father' in the

sense of Author and Origin is predominant, for glory beyond our dreams is the

goal of the high calling made known in Ephesians.  When Stephen fell under the

savage stoning of his persecutors, and called upon the Lord Jesus Christ, his