为信徒代求
以弗所书三章14至21节
14因此，我在父面前屈膝，
15（天上地上的各（或作：全）家，都是从他得名。）
16求他按着他丰盛的荣耀，借着他的灵，叫你们心里的力量刚强起来，
17使基督因你们的信，住在你们心里，叫你们的爱心有根有基，
18能以和众圣徒一同明白基督的爱是何等长阔高深，
19并知道这爱是过于人所能测度的，便叫神一切所充满的，充满了你们。
20神能照着运行在我们心里的大力充充足足的成就一切，超过我们所求所想的。
21但愿他在教会中，并在基督耶稣里，得着荣耀，直到世世代代，永永远远。阿们！
信息分享
保罗在这里为我们立下一个代求的榜样。在保罗的书信中，有不少为其他信徒代祷的例子；在以弗所书，我们也见到两个。保罗能够那样深切与深入地为信徒代求，实在令人感到惊讶。他显然是经常热切地为信徒代祷；反观我们自己，又是否每天在祷告中记念别人呢？
我们为何不能像保罗一样，经常为其他信徒代求呢？你觉得保罗的代求，对信徒来说是受用吗？他为他们求些甚么呢？他祈求他们能日渐成长，愈来愈像基督，并且在生活中更多体认基督的大能大力。
你可以把保罗所求的东西逐一列出来吗？然后，再把它们带进你为其他信徒的代祷中，你认为可以吗？基督徒的生命，是一个不断成长的生命，而这种成长，永远是始自内心，所以保罗说：「叫你们心里的力量刚强起来」。反观我们，我们却常为到「外体」--例如身体的毛病或物质的需要代祷。因此，当别人患病的时候，我们会热切地为他祷告，但当他痊愈，我们却很少再为他代求了。然而，保罗却恒常记念信徒「心里」的需要。
第20和21节带给我们甚么应许？我们岂不为此而被大大激励？保罗指出，神的大能在我们的身上工作，祂能成就一切，远超乎我们所求所想。这是神的伟大工作。但愿我们能认真地为其他信徒内心所需要的力量代求，同时，亦为自己祷告，求神让我们对祂在我们心中运行的能力，有更多和更深的体认。
反思：
基督徒的生命是需要成长的，那么，我们用甚么来喂养灵命，让它能健康成长呢？
A PRAYER FOR CHRISTIANS TO PRAY FOR OTHER CHRISTIANS
Ephesians 3: 14 – 21
14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father [f]of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,
17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—
19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,
21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Message
Here is an example of how Paul prayed. Several of his prayers are given to us in his epistles. There are two in this letter to the Ephesians. They are wonderful in the depth of their requests. It is quite clear that Paul prayed regularly, earnestly and consistently for fellow believers. How much time do you spend in prayer each day?
Why not pray for others as Paul prayed for the Ephesian Christians? How would you say he prayed for them? What did he ask for? He asked that they might grow more like Christ and know more of his power and strength in their lives.
Could you make a list of Paul’s requests? Then could you build some of those requests into your prayers for fellow Christians? Remember our Christian life is one of growth and it always starts on the inside. What did Paul say? ‘Strengthened in the inner man.’ We often pray for the ‘outer man’ don’t we? That is for our physical bodies or for the physical needs of friends. When people are sick we pray much more for them than when they are well. Paul prayed for the ‘inner man’.
And what about the final promise in verses 20 and 21? Isn’t that a great encouragement? Paul says there is all the power of God working in you and he can do even more than you could ask or even think about. That is tremendous. Begin to pray for fellow Christians. And pray for yourself that you might know more of God’s power working in your soul, the ‘inner man’ that Paul prayed for.
A THOUGHT:
Our Christian life must grow – what have you been feeding it?