“For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”
This prayer of the apostle Paul references a unity through lineage and as members of the Lord’s family of those who identify themselves and belong to Him as their Father, to Jesus Christ as their Saviour, and to the Holy Spirit as the Presence of God in them. The attributes, fullness, and magnificence of divine blessings poured upon humanity surpass all human description, understanding, and measure. Divine grace and unfathomable riches of glory are shared by and unite the “family in heaven,” unfallen beings, and the “family on earth,” fallen human beings. Faith and love make it possible to understand and receive those blessings, for God knows full well what He is dealing with in the weak, sinful human nature.
The exalted spiritual blessings contained in the apostle’s amazing prayer are for the purpose of bringing man up to God’s level. The Creator wants man to fathom His great love in its breadth, length, depth, and height! Words we can use for the concepts the prayer includes are “powerful,” “limitless,” “transcendent,” and “timeless”! All through the ages, the church, the body of Christ, whose purpose is to receive, amplify, and share that saving love, is purified and made able to give to the world the living hope of His glory, grace, and soon coming.
“Through faith in Christ we become members of the royal family, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. In Christ we are one. As we come in sight of Calvary and view the royal Sufferer who in man’s nature bore the curse of the law in his behalf, all national distinctions, all sectarian differences are obliterated; all honor of rank, all pride of caste is lost. The light shining from the throne of God upon the cross of Calvary forever puts an end to man-made separations between class and race. Men of every class become members of one family, children of the heavenly King, not through earthly power, but through the love of God who gave Jesus to a life of poverty, affliction, and humiliation, to a death of shame and agony, that He might bring many sons and daughters unto glory.
“It is not the position, not the finite wisdom, not the qualifications, not the endowments of any person that makes him rank high in the esteem of God. The intellect, the reason, the talents of men, are the gifts of God to be employed to His glory, for the upbuilding of His eternal kingdom. It is the spiritual and moral char acter that is of value in the sight of Heaven, and that will survive the grave and be made glorious with immortality for the endless ages of eternity….
“All who are found worthy to be counted as the members of the family of God in heaven, will recognize one another as sons and daughters of God…. They know that they are to wash their robes of character in His blood, to find acceptance with the Father in His name, if they would be in the bright assembly of the saints, clothed in the white robes of righteousness.” -Review and Herald, December 22,1891.
The Week of Prayer should be an occasion for the believers to meet in church, at home, or virtually. Let each reading be considered with reverence, a willingness to learn, and active participation through prayers and discussion of the subject. The last Sabbath will be devoted to fasting, prayer, and giving. The reading that day should be presented as a sermon for the service, after which the annual gathering of the offering will take place. Each giver should place his offering in an envelope on which he has written a Bible verse expressing his desires, experiences, gratitude, and praise. The gifts will be dedicated to the opening and sustaining of new fields under the responsibility of the General Conference. “Unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”
–The brothers and sisters of the General Conference