Ephesians 3   Paul teaches that the Gospel was a "secret plan concerning the Messiah" a mystery that was being revealed to God's chosen emissaries by the Holy Spirit.  God had not fully revealed before this time that both Jews and Gentiles would become "joint heirs, a joint body and joint sharers.. in what God had promised." 

These many years later, we cannot fully grasp what an impact this would have had on the world at the time of Paul's writing. The Jews and Gentiles both kept themselves separated from each other. The very idea of unity would have been foreign and unacceptable to their way of thinking.  But, in fact, this was God's idea and His plan all along.

Paul felt privileged to be able to share this Good News with the Gentiles. The "unfathomable riches" of Christ are for all who trust in Him!  In the Messiah, God revealed His "many-sided (manifold) wisdom" and through the church, consisting of both Jew and Gentile, "rulers and authorities in heaven" learn of His greatness!

Moreover, "In union with Him ( Jesus)  through His faithfulness, we have boldness and confidence when we approach God".  

In light of these truths, Paul falls on his knees to pray... "I pray that from the treasures of His glory He will empower you with inner strength by His Spirit so that the Messiah may live in your hearts through your trusting. Also I pray that you will be rooted and founded in love, so that you, with all God's people, will be given strength to grasp the breadth, length, height, and depth of the Messiah's love, yes, to know it, even though it is beyond all knowing, so that you will be filled with all the fulness of God." ( v16-19)

Father, You are our God and there is no other!  What manifold wisdom, what awesome grace, what unfathomable love, that You should send Your Son to bring us to Yourself.  We, who have trusted in Jesus Christ, have been made one - united with all other believers - becoming one family.  Open our eyes to see and our hearts to receive all that You desire for us, Your children.  We come boldly to the throne of grace to ask for the inner strength that Paul prayed for.. that we might also grasp the breadth, length, height and depth of Your love.  In Christ we come and ask these things. Amen.