for you, making mention of you in my prayers" (15, 16 R.V.). At least seven times Paul

declares that he never stopped praying for others. The whole of his Christian life was one

long intercession. What an example this is to us! Is it any wonder that he was so

mightily used by the Lord and so many were blessed through his ministry? Spasmodic

praying for other people achieves little or nothing. It is the constant intercession along

the lines of God's will which achieves much. May this stimulate each one of us to be

more diligent in our remembrance of others at the throne of grace.

In chapter 3: we find another profound prayer of the Apostle recorded. Before we

go any further, it will be helpful to compare them. Both prayers are addressed to the

Father (1: 17; 3: 14). In the epistles, prayer is never addressed to the Lord Jesus Christ

or the Holy Spirit. We are exhorted to give thanks to the Father, in the name of our Lord

Jesus Christ (Eph. 5: 20). To directly address the Saviour denies the need for a mediator

between ourselves and God, and the Lord Jesus in His present position is precisely this to

all men. "No man cometh unto the Father but by Me" He expressly declared, and we

ought to remember this constantly.

In both prayers the Father gives, that we may know (1: 17, 18; 3: 16-19) and this is

the right order. Unless He first gives how can we possibly come to any knowledge of the

Truth? In the second the Father grants (gives) to be strengthened with might so that

Christ may take up His abode in our hearts by faith (3: 16, 17); and that we might get to

know the surpassing love of Christ (19). In both prayers there is something `exceeding',

the exceeding power that raised Christ from the dead and this love of the Lord that

exceeds knowledge. The first prayer looks up to the Father's right hand where Christ is

now enthroned. The second prayer comes down to our experience, revealing that this

highly exalted One is prepared to stoop and dwell in our hearts by faith.

Both prayers stress resurrection power. This was the power that conquered death and

raised the Lord Jesus from the dead (1: 20) and this same overwhelming power can work

in us (3: 20). The goal of each prayer is "fullness". In the first, the raised and seated

Lord is Head of the Body, which is His fullness (1: 22, 23). In the second we find the

mighty statement "that ye may be filled unto all the fullness of God (3: 19 R.V.).

The first of these prayers is that "the Father of glory, may give unto you a spirit of

wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him" (1: 17 R.V.). "The Father of glory" is a

profound title which we may not be able to grasp fully. Does it mean that the Father is

the origin of that indescribable divine quality called "glory", or that there is a unique

glory connected with God's Fatherhood? Eph. 3: 15 states that all fatherhood in heaven

or on earth is finally derived from His Fatherhood, for this is the archetypal Fatherhood.

The desire of the Apostle is that this Father may give to the Ephesian saints "a spirit of