Praying to the Father
A Sermon on Ephesians 3:14-15
Originally preached Dec. 2, 1956
Scripture
14For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
Sermon Description
In this sermon on Ephesians 3:14–15 titled “Praying to the Father,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones stresses the importance of prayer and its practice from Paul’s example. Dr. Lloyd-Jones discusses prayer in three important principles from this passage. First, it is important that the apostle Paul is praying for the Ephesians. Even in the midst of his imprisonment he is praying. Prayer is a vital necessity for every believer in every circumstance. Second, Dr. Lloyd-Jones looks at the manner in which Paul is praying. He is praying with reverence. Though he has just mentioned earlier in the chapter that one can come to God in prayer with boldness, he shows here a heart of humility in how he approaches God in prayer. The Christian should be careful to evaluate how they come to God in prayer. It is not necessarily about the outward posture, but does the inward posture show humility in spirit before the Holy God when He is approached in prayer? Lastly, Dr. Lloyd-Jones points out the importance for Paul’s description of God here in the passage. He speaks of Him as being the Father of all. Jews and Gentiles alike are now fellow heirs, children of God, bearing the name of God and addressing Him as their Father.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul prays for the Ephesians even though he is imprisoned. He cannot visit them but he can still pray for them. We should pray for others even when we cannot actively help them.
- Prayer is as necessary as instruction. We need to pray that God's word is understood and applied. Knowledge and prayer must go together.
- Paul prays for the Ephesians so that what he has taught them will become real to them. The greatest teaching is useless without the Holy Spirit.
- We should pray for others as much as we instruct them. Prayer is more important than instruction alone.
- Paul bows his knees in prayer. Our posture in prayer matters as it shows our attitude. Extremes of formalism or casualness should be avoided. The posture should represent a reverent heart.
- Paul comes face to face with God in prayer. We have boldness to approach God but with reverence and godly fear.
- God is described as the Father of the whole family in heaven and earth. The family refers to the redeemed, not all creation. We belong to God's family.
- We have access to God through Christ. We are fellow citizens and members of God's household.
- There is one family of God, in heaven and on earth. We are all God's children regardless of our earthly distinctions.
- We represent God's name as his children. We should live lives worthy of that name.
Sermon Q&A
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Prayer and the Family of God: Key Questions from His Ephesians Sermon
What did Paul mean when he said "I bow my knees unto the Father"?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, when Paul says "I bow my knees unto the Father," he is deliberately choosing language that expresses reverence and humility before God. Lloyd-Jones explains: "This is the indication of reverence, what the author of the epistle to the Hebrews there in the 12th chapter means when he talks about reverence and godly fear. It is indicative of an attitude of worship and of adoration and of praise." Physical posture in prayer isn't what matters most, but rather the heart attitude it represents.
How can Christians pray when they're restricted by circumstances?
Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that prayer is a ministry that cannot be hindered by external circumstances. He notes that Paul was a prisoner when writing this letter, yet "though a malignant enemy has arrested him and has put him into bonds and has made it impossible for him to visit them at Ephesus and to preach to them... there is one thing that the enemy cannot do, and that is he cannot stop him praying." Lloyd-Jones encourages that even those confined by illness, imprisonment, or other limitations can engage in powerful ministry through prayer.
What is the relationship between instruction and prayer in Christian ministry?
Lloyd-Jones teaches that prayer is "always as necessary as instruction." He warns against thinking Paul only prayed because he couldn't preach, stating: "It would be a very great fellowship if we got the impression that the apostle was only praying for these Ephesians because he couldn't preach to them." Instead, even if Paul were free, he would still pray for them because: "Knowledge and instruction and prayer must always go together, and they must never be separated." Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that "the greatest teaching in the world is useless unless the Holy Spirit takes hold of it."
What does "boldness and access with confidence" mean in prayer?
Lloyd-Jones provides an important clarification about boldness in prayer: "Boldness does not mean brazenness. That confidence does not mean cocksureness." He warns against those who think spirituality means praying with "an easy, glib familiarity" with God. Instead, true boldness in prayer should still be accompanied by reverence: "You know you have your axis and your entree. But that doesn't mean that you can walk boldly with chest forward as it were into the presence of almighty God." Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that we should approach God with both confidence and deep reverence.
What does Paul mean by "the whole family in heaven and earth"?
Lloyd-Jones examines two interpretations of this phrase but concludes that Paul is referring specifically to "the family of the redeemed" rather than a universal fatherhood of all creation. He explains: "Some of them are in heaven already, some of them are still on earth, but they're the same family." This connects to Paul's teaching in Ephesians 2 about how Gentiles are now fellow citizens with the saints and members of God's household. Lloyd-Jones adds: "There is only one family, the whole family. And he is the father of the whole family, the church triumphant as well as the church militant."
What responsibilities come with being part of God's family?
Lloyd-Jones concludes by reminding believers of the responsibility that comes with bearing God's name: "The family name which I claim is the name of God... May it never be besmurched. May men never think meanly of him and his name because of what they see in me." He urges Christians to recognize both "the privileges of the name that is on us and also... the dread responsibility of having upon us the name of God." Being in God's family means representing Him well through our conduct.
The Book of Ephesians
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.