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Our first finding, then, is that prayer is to the Word what digestion is to food. This
calls for one further remark, obvious enough in daily life, but sometimes sadly missed in
spiritual things. If, before it yields up its life-giving goodness, the Word necessitates
prayer, prayer correspondingly needs the Word, for whoever heard of anyone growing
strong and tall merely because he had a good digestion? A good digestion is valueless
unless there be good food to digest: so prayer without the Word is a process without
material. Prayer that is not ever and always acting upon the revealed truth of the Word
will but lead to spiritual starvation. When both are together--the spiritual food and the
spiritual digestion--then the Word will live and become the very food for spiritual
growth.
If, to some, reference to the processes of digestion seems rather unseemly, such may
be able better to appreciate the relation of the Word of God and prayer if expressed thus:
Revelation and realization.
#2.
Revelation and Anticipation.
pp. 137 - 139
We have seen in Eph. 1: the intimate connection that exists between the revelation of
truth, and its realization. We now turn to the next great prayer of Ephesians, seeking
further light upon the purpose of prayer. This prayer occupies a central place in the
complete epistle, uniting by its position the seven sections of doctrine (Eph. 1: - 3: 13)
with the seven sections of practice (Eph. 4:-6:). The place occupied by the prayer
largely indicates its purpose. But, first, let us acquaint ourselves with the letter of the
Word so that we may appreciate its spirit.
"For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of Whom the
whole family of heaven and earth is named, That He would grant you according to the
riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His spirit in the inner man; that
Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith: that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may
be able to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth and length and depth and
height, and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled
with all the fullness of God" (Eph. 3: 14-19).
We observed that the first prayer opened with dia touto, "because of this", and we
observe that this second prayer opens with Toutou charin. Charin is translated "for the
sake of" in Titus 1: 11, and this we adopt here to mark the distinction. We should next
ask "For the sake of what" does the apostle bow his knees and pray? We look at the
preceding context, with its revelation of the dispensation of the mystery, and upon
reaching verse one of this chapter we once more meet with the words "For the sake of
this".
Upon examination, we shall discover that Eph. 3: 2-13 is a parenthesis, explaining
and justifying the apostle's claim to be the prisoner of the Lord for the Gentiles. The