Ephesians (W6D1) Bow The Knee

Week 6. Monday: Bow the Knee

PRAY: Ask God to speak to you from His Word.

READ: Ephesians 3:14-15

14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name.

UNDERSTAND: get a deeper understanding of the key words

• For This Reason (Greek: houtos charin): for this cause, for the sake of these things

• This is a reference to the preceding thirteen verses.

• Paul’s prayer in 3:14-21 is a result of the truth in vv. 1-13 that God is working through the church to make known His manifold wisdom to the world.

• Kneel (Greek: kamptō egō gony): to bow in reverence and honor

• Kneeling is an act of worship reserved for God alone.

• Kneeling when we pray can help us position ourselves in humility.

• In the end, everyone will kneel before God (Philippians 2:10).

• Family (Greek: patria): lineage originating from God Himself

• This is not a reference to all families in a universal sense.

• This is a reference to all believing families in heaven and on earth.

• Derives Its Name (Greek: onomazō): the origin of identity

• Our identity as believers is found in Christ.

• We should identify with Christ above all other things.

APPLY: What is this passage calling me to do?

It is interesting that Paul makes a point to say that he’s kneeling before the Father. Not many people today kneel when they pray. We’re often too busy and kneeling is uncomfortable. We don’t like being uncomfortable. But what if that’s why we struggle to pray consistently? What if our comfortable posture is why we keep getting distracted when we pray? Kneeling produces an attitude of humility, reverence, and focus. Maybe we should follow Paul’s example. It certainly seemed to work well for him.

PRAY: Today, try kneeling when you pray to see how it changes your prayer time.

Thank God for adopting you into His family.