Ephesians 3:17 “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,”
Paul continues his prayer for the Children of God; praying “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith”; that is, for “Christ” to reveal Himself in His Person to us from within our very being, in our “hearts”, where we can actively and lovingly feel His presence with us with great assurance. For “Christ” to “dwell in” our “hearts” He must have given us “faith” (Hebrews 12:2); through which we lovingly know God. It is true that “all men have not faith” (II Thessalonians 3:2), and without this blessed God-given “faith”, Christ does not “dwell” in their “hearts”. When “Christ” dwells in our “hearts by faith” we are vividly and wonderfully aware of His immediate presence with us, we lovingly and worshipfully know Him as our “good Shepherd” (John 10:11, 14), a sense of calm and joy fills our hearts and minds and radiates outward for others to see (Matthew 5:14), we are painfully aware of our natural weaknesses and unworthiness (Romans 7), we have a great yearning to “take up” our “cross and follow” Him (Matthew 16:24), we strive to live a life dedicated to serving Him (Mark 5:18-19), we are lovingly led to and strengthened to overcome the “lusts” of this present world (Titus 2:12), we receive courage to face and endure awful tribulations (John 16:33), and we anxiously “desire to depart, and to be with Christ” (Philippians 1:23)! Furthermore, our fears are calmed, tragedy does not devastate us, disappointments do not discourage us, pain doesn’t consume us, and loneliness melts away. In our prayers, let us also pray “That Christ may dwell in” our “hearts by faith”!