Day 3: Ephesians 1:15-19 Devotion

What is prayer? According to Tim Keller's New City Catechism, it can be defined as the act of pouring out one's heart to God. God communicates with us through His word, and our response is conveyed through the language of prayer. It is often celebrated in the Bible as the Christians' greatest privilege, reminiscent of adopted children conversing with their heavenly Father. The essence of prayer lies in the assurance that our Father always listens and responds to the petitions of His people. Consider prayer as essential as breathing; a deficiency in prayer could lead to spiritual ailment.

While imprisoned for his faith in Bedford, England, John Bunyan, the renowned author of The Pilgrim’s Progress, wrote a book titled Praying with the Spirit and with Understanding Also (first published in 1662). In this work, Bunyan eloquently characterizes healthy prayer as “a sincere, sensible [fervent], affectionate pouring out of the heart or soul to God, through Christ, in the strength and assistance of the Spirit, for such things as God has promised, or according to his Word, for the good of the church, with submission in faith to the will of God.”

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This type of prayer is reflected in our text. Paul, in Ephesians 1:15-17, lays the foundation by explaining that the subsequent verses hold true due to the preceding 14 verses. Our adoption, forgiveness, redemption, and being chosen in Christ, sealed by the Holy Spirit through God’s glorious grace, empower us to live freely and wholeheartedly for the supremacy of our most treasured possession, Jesus Christ. In our newfound position in Christ, gratitude for the progress of the saints can abound without covetousness or jealousy. Why can this be true? Because in Christ, we have all that we need. Those who need not seek not.

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If this isn't your experience, perhaps you've forgotten your cherished position in Christ. Look to Christ, remembering the profound work He has accomplished to claim you as His own. This sentiment encapsulates verses 18-19. Paul consistently reflects on what God has done for him in Christ. Let us emulate the apostle Paul; may the eyes of our hearts be enlightened today, allowing us to comprehend the depth of the hope to which He has called us, the richness of our glorious inheritance, and the immeasurable power available to us in Christ (Eph. 1:18-19 Paraphrase).