SJTE 31 - The SJTE Companion Journal, Small Group Guide, and Daily Affirmations are available here (free download). This Week 5 Explore is devoted entirely to the second half of Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3:14–21, recapping a week spent on its three requests before Nick and Jamie discuss Paul’s prayer for boldness in an anxious Greco-Roman world, and why knowing we're loved by God and feeling it can be two very different things. Recap Mon: Paul's third "for this reason" — kneeling before "the Father from whom every family takes its name" (naming = identity in biblical culture); the chapter 3 prayer compared to chapter 1's (both humble, Trinitarian, corporate, free of circumstance-based requests); first request: to be strengthened in our inner being through the Spirit — in the passive voice, meaning God does the strengtheningTue: Second request — that Christ would dwell in our hearts (already true; Paul prays we'd embrace what's real); third request — power to comprehend the breadth, length, height, and depth of Christ's love with all the saints, meaning we need each other to grasp it; the purpose: being filled with the fullness of God (also passive)Wed: The prayer's close — God is able to do "far more abundantly" than all we ask or imagine, and does so "by the power at work within us," meaning the church; Darrell Johnson's step-by-step unpacking of that phraseThu: Chapter 3's imagination prayerFri: The turn into chapter 4 — "because of all you are, all you have, and all that is possible in Christ... walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called" Praying boldly, not anxiously Revisits the Ephesian backdrop: prayer to Artemis and the other city gods was anxious by nature, since worshippers could never be sure they'd gotten the rules right or pleased a volatile god. Against that backdrop, Paul's invitation to approach God as Father — boldly and with confidence — would have been genuinely shocking. Nick distinguishes "anxious" prayer (worried about how we'll be received) from ordinary anxiety one might still carry while praying confidently, and ties both the kneeling ("willed submission," quoting Eugene Peterson) and the boldness together: we come reverently and as beloved children. Also notes that Paul addresses God as Father "of every family in heaven and on earth," not only believers. Positional vs. experiential love Even when we know, positionally, that we're loved, secure, and indwelt by Christ (citing Gal 2:20, Col 1:27, Rom 8), we don't always feel it. Nick shares candidly how his parents' divorce and his own divorce created a lasting sense of rejection that still shapes how safe he feels with God, despite years of counseling and study. Cites Darrell Johnson's six common hindrances to experiencing God's love (painful childhood experiences, feelings of unworthiness, hard circumstances, the world's suffering, disappointment with God, anger at God) and warns against both self-condemnation for not feeling enough and "chasing" emotional experiences from church to church. Paul's answer isn't an emotional fix — it's praying for strength to grasp Christ's love "with all the saints," underscoring that this is something the church grasps together, not something each person works out alone. Closing Reflection Everything in 1–3 can feel abstract and disconnected from daily life, but it's the foundation for the practical instruction ahead. The spiritual reality of being blessed, loved, and filled isn't meant to stay "up there" — it's meant to break into ordinary life, even when its effects aren't fully felt or seen. DONATE TO THE WILD WAY. We are a donor-supported community. If you are enjoying our resources, please consider making a donation to support the Wild Way and the creation of further resources. Explore music: Intro / Outro produced by Nick Osborne. Transition by Gavin Luke on Epidemic Sound. Used with permission. Follow us on social media: @gothewildway Contact us: podcast @ thewildway.ca
