“In whom we have boldness and access with confidence through the faith of Him.” Ephesians 3:12
How much of God’s intentions have passed through us? Do we know what it means to pray, “Lord, Your name be sanctified. Lord, Your kingdom come”? For this kind of prayer we need light and revelation. So we should pray in this way: “Lord, fill me with Your intentions.” This is how Paul prayed. In his praying in Ephesians 3:9-11, he opened up the vision that controlled him: 9 “And to make all people see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; 10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, 11 according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord.” In these verses Paul brings to light God’s intention in the universe — that which had its beginning in eternity past and will be consummated in eternity future, and which is now being made known to the principalities and the powers in the heavenlies. And what is God’s intention? God’s eternal purpose and intention is that His manifold wisdom would be made known through the church.
Immediately following the declaration that God’s intention was accomplished, or carried out, in Christ Jesus our Lord, Paul says, “In whom.” Paul knew exactly where he was. He was in the Second in the Godhead. In whom? Christ Jesus our Lord. He merged with the prayer life of the Triune God. And in this One, Christ Jesus our Lord, he had “boldness and access with confidence through the faith of Him.” This means that Paul’s boldness and confidence and access to pray issued from God’s intentions pulsating in his being!
When Paul spoke in this way — “boldness and access with confidence through the faith of Him” — he was building one word upon another. It was as though he had mounted up to the heavens to command the whole universe to come under God’s administration. Here Paul was not engaged in prayer to fulfill his own needs and desires. Although God does answer our personal requests, we need a higher vision so that we can pray with God’s needs and intentions in our being. This is the way Paul prayed. He fully merged in his prayer with the eternal intentions of the Triune God.