That Christ May Dwell

We are told here that the reason that Paul bowed his knees to the Father, the reason that he was praying for these Ephesian believers was so that they would not lose heart at his tribulations; that is, the things that he, Paul, was going through on account of his preaching the gospel. These tribulations, he says, were for their glory. In other words, these tribulations that Paul was going through were actually intended by God to help establish their greater exercise of their faith in God. These trials and tribulations which Paul went through were intended by God to help them to persevere in their faith, so that they would become stronger Christians; better able to glorify God in the way that they would live their lives to Him, based upon what they saw Paul going through. It was on this basis that Paul prayed for them, that God would grant them to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man.