Paul's Ephesian 1 Prayer Part 1 April 22 07
Paul’s Ephesians 1 Prayer
Part 1
Giving Thanks for Each Other
Introduction: We continue today our emphasis on Changing our World through Prayer. Open your Bibles to Ephesians Chapter 1. Remember Ephesians is the book of the church. In this book we see how the church is to operate in the world. We not only learn church structure, but we learn how to function as the church in the world—what we are to do, who we are to be, and how we are to be.
We know that prayer changes things. Prayer changes us. To change the world, we must be changed. Part of how that change takes place is how we the church pray for one another. Please remember the primary purpose of Prayer: to advance the kingdom of God. If we are going to be effective change agents—that is ambassadors of Christ— in the world, we must pray for one another and in praying for one another we will see God’s kingdom being advanced in one another. Paul’s Ephesians 1 prayer will show us how to specifically prayer for one another. And in the specifics of praying for one another, we will see how God advances His kingdom in our lives, so that we can then go forth and be change agents to advance the kingdom in the world. Please pray with me. Open your Bibles to Ephesians 1. I want to begin reading in verse 13.
"In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory."
"For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all." (Ephesians 1:13-23, ESV NT Rev. Int.)
Do you see a progression in this prayer for one another? We begin by first remembering each other in our prayers—we must develop a constant and consistent practice of praying for one another. As we pray for one another we give thanks for each other—this is very specific thanks. First I am thankful for you because of your faith in the Lord Jesus. That is a pure Biblical faith—the faith the Jude says has been once and for all delivered to the saints. (“Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.” Jude 3, ESV NT Rev. Int.) You can only have this biblical faith one way—this is delineated in verse 13—you hear the gospel of salvation—the word of truth, and you believe and then you are sealed (filled) with promised the Holy Spirit who is the guarantee of our inheritance (eternal life with God). So first I am thankful that you are born-again, that the faith you have is saving faith that will produce in you not only eternal life—but the fruit of the Holy Spirit and the good works of genuine biblical faith.
Secondly I will give thanks for you because you love ALL the saints. This is so integrally connected to the first thanks I give for you—faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. That faith produces in you a love for ALL the saints. And everyone who sees saints (believers) will know who’s we are by our love for one another. (This is so important that it is repeated 87 times in 22 verses in the New Testament— "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”" (John 13:34-35, ESV NT Rev. Int.) As I pray for you and you pray for me, we are praying that we will love one another sacrificially—just as Jesus loves us. We are praying that we will lay our lives down for one another. In our thanksgiving we are praying for the two dimensions of the Christian life: faith toward God and love toward men, and you cannot separate the two. We must understand that if we love God we will love one another. The Apostle John says it this way— “No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.” (1 John 4:12, ESV NT Rev. Int.) For the Lord knows this about us, dear one, that when we love each other—completely and sacrificially—we can then take that love out of the church and into the street. If I can love you—if you can love me—we can will to love others—who may in fact be our enemies. The gathering of the church is very much about corporate worship, about hearing the word of God preached, but it, too, is just as much about a willingness that each of us must have to love one another. Because love is an act of the will—remember this is about advancing the kingdom—His kingdom come, His WILL be done—I must make a “thinking decision” to love you. As I am thankful for you, I am also thinkful for you.
Ø This will to love you is produced in me by my saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who has placed the Holy Spirit in me.
Ø This will to love you is commanded by the Lord Jesus— “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”
Ø This will to love you is advanced in you and me as we faithfully pray for one another.
Biblical faith will keep us from heresy and error—we must be able to articulate clearly what we believe to anyone that asks. Loving one another will be the living testimony of the church—that we have “been with Jesus.”