A Graduate’s Prayer
Ephesians 3:14-21
By Rev. John R. Hannem,
Did you hear about the fellow who said to his friend “My high school really turned out some great men.” His friend replied “Oh, is that right? What year did you graduate?” He said, “Oh, I didn’t graduate. I was turned out!”
Well graduates, you’ve turned out alright…you’ve turned out great! You’ve learned a lot from many teachers through the years, including the parents that God gave you…and your parents have, believe it or not, learned a lot from you too… I remember one day one of my children asked me “Do you know how to make Budweiser Dad?” No, I said, How do you make Budweiser?..... “You send him to school!” And I learned many other things from my children, including how to make antifreeze .... [hide her nightgown!]
Yes, graduates you’re older and wiser…in fact a few of you are just natural “wise guys”!
A young man walked up to his teacher’s desk, holding a report card with a big red F. He said, "If I were you I would change this while you still can." "Why is that?" asked the teacher. "Because my dad told me that if I brought home one more failing report card, someone was going to be sorry!"
Did you hear about the school teacher injured his back during the summertime and had to wear a plaster cast around the upper part of his body for weeks. It fit under his shirt and was not noticeable at all. He transferred to a new school on top of that. On the first day of school, still with the cast under his shirt, he found himself assigned to the toughest classroom in that rowdy school.
Walking confidently into the rowdy classroom, he opened the window as wide as possible and then busied himself with desk work. When a strong breeze made his tie flap, he took the desk stapler and stapled the tie to his chest. From that time on he had no trouble with discipline in his class.
Well you graduates have earned some respect… you’ve come a long way. You’ve reached a milestone. But this is not the end…it’s really just the beginning! You’ve come to the end of a big episode in life, but just before the credits roll, across the screen flashes the words: “To be continued!”
What would you ask for if you found a genie-in-a-bottle and were granted three wishes that were bound to come true? Graduates, if you could have three wishes fulfilled, what would you ask for?
There was a young man who found a genie-in-a-bottle? This guy was walking down the beach and comes across an old bottle. He picks it up, pulls out the cork and out pops a genie.
The genie says, "Thank you for freeing me from the bottle. In return I will grant you three wishes." The guy says, "Great! I always dreamed of this and I know exactly what I want. First, I want one billion dollars in a Swiss bank account." Poof! There is a flash of light and a piece of paper with account numbers appears in his hand. He continues, "Next, I want a brand new red Ferrari right here." Poof! There is a flash of light and a bright red brand-new Ferrari appears right next to him. He continues, "Finally, I want to be irresistible to women." Poof! There is a flash of light and he turns into a box of chocolates!
As Christians, we know that there are no genies in a bottle. But, we have the awesome privilege to bow before our Heavenly Father in prayer to ask him for what we need. What will you ask for? Today, in honor of our graduates, I want to offer "A Prayer for a Graduate." In fact, these are requests that everyone—all the Pre- and Post- Graduates among us—would do well to consider! That prayer will come right from the Bible. In Ephesians 3:14-21, Paul provides us an excellent model for our praying.
Someone once said, “There are two types of education: One should teach us how to make a living, and the other how to live.” Well as we focus upon these verses Paul gives us insight into how we ought to live. Paul makes three prayer requests. We should be praying for these things as well:
#I. To let Jesus rule my life, through the power of the Holy Spirit, whatever career I choose (-17a) “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.”
There are two inter-related requests that Paul makes here. Paul prays first that "he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being" The ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives is absolutely indispensable. Why? Because Jesus said in John 16:7: “I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.” It is the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of believers that continues the ministry of Jesus on earth.
We each have a choice to make: will we live in our own strength or will we “live by the Spirit… and not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” (Gal 5:16) And here’s an incentive: one of the fruit of the Spirit is joy (Gal. ); so living in the Spirit is the only guarantee of true and lasting joy in life!
Paul goes on to add, "so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith..." Christ only comes into the life a person through faith. The Bible teaches that faith is not just a head-knowledge but it is also a heart-acceptance that is evidenced in a lifestyle commitment. Paul uses a word for "dwell" which means to live permanently, not a temporary resident but a full-time, permanent residence!
Robert Boyd Munger in his book, "My Heart- Christ’s Home" remarks about this very verse and reminds us that, “Without question one of the most remarkable Christian doctrines is that Jesus Christ himself through the Holy Spirit will actually enter a heart, settle down and be at home there. Christ will live in any human heart that welcomes him.
Boyd uses the imagery of a home with many rooms to bring out the full meaning of what it means to have Christ actually residing in our lives ..... How would you react if you got a phone call tomorrow from Jesus asking if he could move in? What rooms of your life might you have to clean out… remodel?
...The Study: the things you let into your mind … the books, magazines, music, and movies…Would you have to take some things off the shelf?
...How about The Dining & Living Room: the activities you engage in daily living… Would you have to change your routine if Jesus was living in your home?
...The Workroom, Rec-room? Would there need to changes there also?
...The Hall Closet: Would you be afraid of what Jesus would find stuff way back in the dark corners and crevices?
Whatever career you choose graduates, allow Jesus to rule your life through the Holy Spirit.
II. Paul makes a second request: To know and share the love of Christ wherever God takes me (3:17b-19a) “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge”
Paul asks that we would be rooted (using the image of the importance of a root system for the vitality of a plant) and established (using the image of the foundation of a building) in the love of Christ… How do we become rooted and established in the love of Christ? Well, we need to experience it first hand!
Robert Shannon tells about a man in
When we look at God’s love for us, especially as it is expressed in Christ Jesus and the Cross of Calvary and ask, "How can you say No to a love like that?"
That is precisely why Paul prays for us to have an intimate personal experience with the love of Christ…to “grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge…”
When we see that Christ died on the Cross FOR ME… Then, how can we say no to the love of Jesus which goes to such great lengths to get my attention?
Robert Lavelle says it well: “No one can be apathetic in the face of God’s love--it is the most powerful force there is.”
(1)Allow Jesus to rule your life through the Holy Spirit. (2) Know and share the love of Christ wherever God takes you.
III. There is a third request that Paul petitions for and we should remember to pray for as well: That is to experience the very best that God has for you and never settle for anything less (19b-21) “that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen”.
Through the use of some interesting phrases Paul highlights that God wants to bless us in ways we cannot even comprehend or fathom:
He talks about our being "Filled to the fullness of God" and tells us that God "can do more than we ask or imagine"
In light of this graduates, what will the measuring stick of your life be? The things you do, the things you accept as right and good, how will you decide what they are?
“Everybody’s doing it…” >>> Will you be a person who lives by other people’s standards?
“This is good for me…”>>> Will you be a person who lives by self-centered standards?
”This is what God can accomplish …” >>> Will you be a person who lives by God-sized expectations and standards?
CONCLUSION: Let me close with this illustration .....
James Hewett tells of a 1928 meeting of the world’s most successful financiers. They met at the Edgewater Beach Hotel in
- The president of the worlds largest utility company,
- The greatest wheat speculator,
- The president of the New York Stock Exchange,
- A member of the President’s Cabinet,
- The greatest “bear” on Wall Street,
- The president of the Bank of International Settlements,
- The head of one of the world’s greatest monopoly.
Collectively, these tycoons controlled more wealth than there was in the U.S. Treasury, and for years newspapers and magazines had been printing their success stories and urging young people to follow their examples.
Twenty-five years later, listen to what happened to each of these powerful and successful men. Tell me if you would like to have things turn out this way for you?
- The president of the largest independent steel company, Charles Schwab, lived on borrowed money the last five years of his life and died broke.
- The greatest wheat speculator, Arthur Cutten, died oversees, insolvent.
- The president of the New York Stock Exchange, Richard Whitney, served a term in Sing Sing Prison.
- The member of the President’s Cabinet, Albert Fall, was pardoned from prison so he could die at home.
- The greatest “bear” in Wall Street, Jesse Livermore, committed suicide.
- The president of the Bank of International Settlements, Leon Fraser, committed suicide.
- The head of the world’s greatest monopoly, Ivar Drueger, committed suicide as well.
As Hewett rightly concludes, "All of these men had learned how to make money, but not one of them had learned how to live."
Remember the statement I quoted earlier? “There are two types of education: One should teach us how to make a living, and the other how to live.”
Okay, here’s the bottom line graduates: Far more important than WHAT we do with our lives, is WHO we become in our living. Maybe as graduates you’re asking, “Is God interested in the career I choose?” ...Absolutely He is! ... But, no matter what it will be… no matter what career you choose, the far more important question is: WHO will I become in life. Will you let Christ rule your life? Will you be a person rooted and established in the love of Christ? And will you be the kind of person who sees the God-sized possibilities?
"Let