We’ve seen that in Christ the believer now has all he or she needs. Sins forgiven, adopted as God’s child, inheritance guaranteed, eternal blessings galore are secure. Not only that, God’s own promise is sealed with the presence of His Spirit, who is the guarantee (down payment) of all that is to come.
What more is required? Just as Paul prayed that believers would understand the mystery and its blessings after naming them (chapter one), here he prays that we believers will grasp the fullness of God’s love. Understanding God’s love leads to a deepened relationship with Jesus through the power of grace. As any relationship, this one grows.
Paul’s language is so expansive that we can get lost in the wonder of it all, but basically he asks for three things and then lets us know that those things are guaranteed by a God of infinite riches and glory.
Why are such prayers necessary? Because we still are living in these bodies of flesh, subject to temptation, trials, and turmoil. We are easily led astray by Satan and the world’s empty promises of satisfaction. But if we keep before us who we are and the fullness of God’s love and provision, we have a place to stand and the will and energy to fight!