Being built up... (4)

Power-packed Prayers...

When I think of this morning’s title, it is

Power-packed prayers...

The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective, it avails much. When we pray in the power of His might, we can become

Power-packed Pray-ers...

We can pray prayers that have impact. First of all, we are praying to the God who has the power to change things.

When Elijah was on Mount Carmel, he taunted the prophets of Baal because he knew that Baal was not a god at all.

We can look at countless examples of people whether in the Bible or throughout the annuls of history that have prayed and God has answered them. In fact, if I were to ask around this room this morning, many of you would be able to tell of times that God has moved on your behalf when you prayed.

Let’s read our Scripture this morning, and see how Paul prayed for the believers in Ephesus.

Ephesians 1:15–19 (NIV)

15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people,

16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.

17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,

19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe...

How would you like to have people pray like this for you?

How would you like to pray prayers like this for your brothers and sisters in Christ?

You can pray prayers like this...

If not, why not?

Let’s take a few minutes this morning and work through these verses, and see how God wants to encourage us this morning.

Ephesians 1:15–16 NLT

15 Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, 16 I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly,

Two things happened when Paul heard of the Ephesian believers

Strong faith...

and

Love for God’s people everywhere...

Our faith is not based on our ability. It is not based on our circumstances, it is based on Jesus Christ and His shed blood.

2 Timothy 1:11–12 NLT

11 And God chose me to be a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of this Good News. 12 That is why I am suffering here in prison. But I am not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return.

To each person has been given a measure of faith. Our faith grows as we learn to trust that God is who He says He is, and that He is able to do what He says He will do.

Mark 11:24 NIV

24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

I’m sure that many here have prayed prayers that seem to have gone unanswered. I believe that God does answer, but sometimes, just not the way we want Him to answer.

We live in an instant society. We want everything right now. Sometimes God says, “No.” Sometimes He says, “I’m using this trial to help you grow.” We need to decide whether we will patiently endure and persevere or give up.

Sometimes God moves instantly, and sometimes it’s a process. An example is dramatic healing that is instantaneous, and other times it might heal over time. We need to hold on to God’s promises and trust that His timing is perfect.

Another example might be a financial breakthrough. God can supply supernaturally.

In South Africa, Angus Buchan planted potatoes in drought. No plants seemed to come up, but when it was harvest time, the workers went and harvested potatoes. There is a movie based on this story. It’s called,

“Faith like potatoes.”

Was it easy to sow? When everyone was saying that Angus was crazy to sow, instead of listening to what others were saying, he did what he believed God wanted him to do.

We can listen to voices of doubt that are around us, or we can believe God’s word. Even though it isn’t easy to go against the majority, if you are doing what God is calling you to do, that is the best place you can be.

I remember when one of my friends told me that God was calling him to sow flax. I thought he was crazy. Canola is way easier to seed and harvest than flax. When Flax virtually doubled in price, I knew that he was listening to God’s voice.

Secondly, the Ephesian believers also had

Love for God’s people everywhere...

We can love people that we have never met.

1 John 4:16 NIV

16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.

God’s love, agape, is the same kind of love that compelled Jesus to go to the cross. It’s the same kind of love that would cause us to lay down our lives for one another.

John 15:12 NIV

12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

Sometimes, it can be hard to love. There are times when human love can seem impossible, but agape love, loves when it seems too hard.

1 Peter 4:8 NIV

8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

God calls us to bring people to Him, He will take care of changing the hearts of people. We might be able to change somebody from the outside, but God changes the heart.

Over the next few verses Paul explains how he prays and what he prays. Let’s start with verse 16.

Ephesians 1:16 NLT

16 I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly,

Since Paul had heard of their strong faith and love for other Christians everywhere,

He gave thanks to God

In fact, he said that he hadn’t stopped giving thanks to God.

As believers, we should not stop giving thanks for God’s people. I remember when I was growing up, we’d walk around and shake hands to greet each other. We’d sing, “God loves you and I love you and that the way it should be, Hallelujah...” or “I love you with the love of the Lord, yes, I love you with the love of the Lord. I can see in you, the glory of my King, and I love you with the love of the Lord.”

When we are giving thanks to God for each other, unity comes. Where there is unity, there is love, and where there is love, there is unity. You may have noticed that I didn’t say…uniformity.

I like my potatoes uniform. I like my tomatoes uniform. I even like my crops and calves uniform, but God has not called us to be cookie cutter Christians. He has made each of us as individuals, but we all make up one body.

Psalm 133:1–3 NIV

1 How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! 2 It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe. 3 It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.

Paul never stopped giving thanks and

He prayed constantly...

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we need to remember to pray for each other. When God lays somebody on your heart, it’s a good indication that you should pray. Your prayers are powerful. When we pray, we can come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy and find grace to help in our time of need.

I believe that we grow closer together as we pray for each other, and our love for each other increases as we call out to God on each other’s behalf.

This is not limited to, but I want to encourage you to come to Tuesday night prayer meeting in person, but if you are unable to come in person, please come online. Let’s keep praying for each other.

What did Paul pray for?

Ephesians 1:17–19 (NIV)

17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,

19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe...

Paul asked God for three things for the church...

He asked that God would give them:

The Spirit of wisdom and revelation...

Why?

So that they may know Him better...

The Holy Spirit gives wisdom, that’s the ability to see life from God’s perspective, in other words to have discernment. Revelation or understanding refers to “enlightened understanding” in the knowledge of God. (LANTC)

1 Corinthians 2:14–16 NIV

14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. 15 The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, 16 for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

As the Holy Spirit gives us wisdom and understanding, we are given discernment, not merely human wisdom, but from the Spirit.

How can we know that we have this? It doesn’t come from our feelings, because our feelings can deceive us. We test it according to the word of God.

We are given wisdom and revelation so that we can know Him better. There isn’t any purpose in these if it doesn’t draw us closer to Jesus Christ.

Philippians 3:10–11 NIV

10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

Paul also prayed that

The eyes of their hearts would be enlightened...

in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you...

the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people.

The NKJV says,

“The eyes of your understanding.”

I hope that we get the picture that Paul desired the church to be able to see that hope of our calling.

Philippians 3:14 NIV

14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:20–21 NIV

20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

Our hope is not in this world, cosmos.

1 John 2:17 NLT

17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

The hope of our calling is that one day we will see Jesus face to face. We will be like Him for we shall see Him as He is.

Our hope is not based on our bank accounts. It is not based on the things that we have. These things are fleeting. They are passing away. The cravings and desires are only for a moment in the light of eternity.

Only eternal things will matter when we see Christ.

What did I do with Jesus?

and

Who did I bring to Christ?

It’s not our jobs, and yet God can use our jobs to bring glory to Him. It’s not even our talents, but God will use our talents to bring glory to His name.

It’s not even our money. It’s not our money, it’s God money that He has entrusted us to steward. He will use that for His glory as we allow Him to use it.

When we start to think about eternity our perspective really starts to change on the things that matter. God doesn’t want us to go and sit on a mountain top waiting for Him to come. He wants us to be doing what He has called us to do. He has called all of us to make disciples, catch fish, and He will use what He has given to us: our time, our talents, and our treasure.

Finally, Paul prayed for

Ephesians 1:19 (NIV)

19 ...his incomparably great power for us who believe...

Romans 8:11 NIV

11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, and He will give life to your mortal bodies, because He lives in you. This should put a spring in our step, knowing that God lives in us by the power of the Holy Spirit.

My prayer is that each of us would experience everything that God has for us: His wisdom and revelations so that we can know Him more intimately.

My prayer is that the eyes of our hearts would be enlightened to know the hope of His calling.

1 Corinthians 2:9 NKJV

9 But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

My prayer is that God would give us a glimpse into that hope in which we have in Him,

and that we would experience the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives each and every day. To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus. For ever and ever. Amen.

Let’s pray!