Praying for spiritual knowledge and power

We are in a series in the book of Ephesians, and in today’s passage we are going to receive a masterclass in praying for others from the apostle Paul. Because in the second half of , we see Paul praying for his spiritual family in Ephesus. It is a prayer for others, and Paul is praying that they would grow in spiritual knowledge and experience spiritual power. So if you have a Bible with you, please do open it up to , and we’ll be reading from verse 15. (read and pray)

Well, we are in a series in the book of Ephesians and in today’s passage we are going to receive a masterclass in praying for others from the apostle Paul. Because in the second half of , we see Paul praying for his spiritual family in Ephesus. So if you have a Bible with you, please do open it up to , and we’ll be reading from verse 15. (read and pray)

Prayer for others is difficult; although we may often have some desire to do so, it can be hard to pray for others and so by looking at Paul’s remarkable prayer for his Ephesian friends, we are going to learn about praying for others. And we’re going to learn about what praying for others is, what we should pray for, and why we should pray it. So we learn about the nature of prayer (what it is), the content of prayer (what to pray for) and the assurance of prayer (why we can pray with confidence).

And in the time we have together this morning, I want to highlight three things that we learn about prayer: the nature of prayer, the content of prayer, and the assurance of prayer.

Paul’s praying begins with a prayer of thanksgiving—take a look at verse 15 (read). Why is Paul thankful? Because in the Ephesian Christians, he can see the birthmarks of the gospel—their faith in Christ, and their love for all God’s people. These two markers are the essential birthmarks of genuine conversion—that we have placed our trust in Christ to forgive our sins, and that we love His people. Notice that it says, “all” God’s people—not some of God’s people. Not the churches that I happen to like, or the Christians I happen to get on with. No, it says all God’s people. Jew and Gentile, Greek and Barbarian, slave and free, rich and poor, male and female. Paul was grateful for the Ephesians because they had both birthmarks—faith and love.

Illustrate:

Apply: two applications—do we have these gospel birthmarks? Do we thank God for these in others? What are we grateful for in the lives of others?

The Nature of Prayer

Prayer is generous

I want to begin with a confession: for a long time, I think I’ve missed something very obvious in this passage. And that is that this passage is more about teaching us how to pray for others than how we should pray for ourselves.

Now, don’t misunderstand me: this prayer is a great model for us as we pray for ourselves. If we used Paul’s prayers to pray for ourselves that would be a fantastic thing. But Paul’s prayers were not for himself but for others. Paul was generous in his praying, he used much of his prayer time praying for other people.

Illustrate:

Take a look again at verse 15-16 (read). Paul has been praying for them ever since he’s heard that they’ve become Christians—that’s what he means by referencing their faith in Jesus and love for all God’s people. Faith and love are gospel birthmarks—evidences that we’ve really been born again. Naturally, we don’t trust God and we tend to love people like us—but now that they’ve been redeemed by God’s Son and sealed with God’s Spirit, they love all of God’s people (not just those that look and think and sound like them).

And so because they are believers, Paul thanks God for them. He prays for them, regularly. He is generous in his praying, and to pray for others is an act of generosity. When you take the time and make the effort to pray for others, you are being generous. So often we think of generosity mainly in financial terms, but to pray for someone is a wonderful and beautiful act of spiritual generosity.

I find this very challenging—I know that I need to become more generous. Praying for others is generous.

Prayer is proactive

Apply: two applications—do we have these gospel birthmarks? Do we thank God for these in others? What are we grateful for in the lives of others?

One of the interesting features of Ephesians is that Paul isn’t writing to them to address a specific problem. If you read Romans, the letters to the Corinthians or Galatians, even Colossians, Paul is writing to address a particular problem or problems facing those churches. Although Paul does have some very specific themes that come through the letter to the Ephesians, there’s no immediately obvious problem that he is writing to resolve. They don’t seem to be a problematic church—and yet he constantly prays for them. Praying for other people should be proactive, not just reactive.

Sometimes, if you’re like me, you find your prayers more reactive than proactive. Praying in response to problems, to difficulties and challenges. And that’s fine as far as it goes. But Paul models here a positive and proactive approach to praying for others. He is praying for them, not because they are a problem, but because he is thanking God for what he has already done in their lives and he praying that God would continue and deepen that work.

I am fortunate enough to have a friend who is both generous and proactive in prayer. He regularly messages me and lets me know that he is praying for me. Not because I am facing a problem or anything, but simply because he cares about me. It’s a wonderful thing.

Apply: Too often, we leave until someone asks us to pray for a particular issue (and it’s fine when they do!). How much better, though, to be like Paul—to pray generously for others, and to pray proactively—to be thanking God for all that he has already done in someone’s life and to ask him to continue and deepen that work.

So praying for others, by its very nature, is generous and proactive. Thirdly, the nature of prayer is spiritual.

Prayer focuses on the heart (rather than circumstances)

Prayer is spiritual

When I talk about the nature of prayer, I mean what kind of prayer Paul prays—notice that Paul prays for spiritual realities to be more deeply grasped. Take a look at verse 17-18a (read).

Paul prays that the Holy Spirit would enlighten our hearts that we would grow in spiritual knowledge. In the Old Testament, the word “heart” (καρδία) was used metaphorically as the centre of a person’s intellectual and spiritual life, and so by praying for God to enlighten the eyes of their hearts, Paul is praying that God will provide profound insight —that God Himself would grant them genuine and deep spiritual insight.

The logic is clear in this chapter: in verse 3, Paul praises God for blessing his people with every spiritual blessing. God has already blessed us to such a remarkable degree that we have already hit the spiritual jackpot, we already have every spiritual blessing. So Paul prays not for more blessing, but for us to grasp, in our hearts, what God has already blessed us with.

The logic is clear in this chapter. Because, in verse 3, Paul praises God for blessing his people with every spiritual blessing. God has already blessed us to such a remarkable degree that we have already hit the spiritual jackpot, we already have every spiritual blessing. So Paul prays not for more blessing, but for us to grasp, in our hearts, what God has already blessed us with.

In other words, it is not simply intellectual knowledge, but experiential knowledge. Not just the knowledge of understanding something, but the knowledge that comes from experiencing something.

It’s the difference between knowing about God and knowing God personally. It’s the difference between knowing that God can forgive sin, and having your sins forgiven. It’s the difference between knowing that there is a Holy Spirit, and experiencing the ministry of the Spirit. Paul’s prayer that we know God better is not a prayer for more information but a deeper relational experience of knowing God.

It’s the difference between knowing about God and knowing God personally. Paul’s prayer that we know God better is not a prayer for more information but a deeper relational grasping of who God is

Illustration from Knowing God; illustration from a famous celebrity

You see, it is possible for us to have something but to not fully understand it or embrace it. It is possible to legally possess something but not psychologically posses it. To have it but not own it.

Illustrate:

Thelma Howard, Walt Disney's housekeeper and cook, worked for Disney for 30 years. Now, it may surprise you to hear that Walt Disney didn’t pay her much more than the average going wage, but he did giver her something else: shares in his company. Every Christmas and birthday, Walt Disney would give Thelma more shares. At the time of her death, Thelma had millions and millions of dollars worth of Disney shares—she was a multi-millionaire. Now, you would have never known that Thelma was a millionaire by how she lived—she lived an incredibly modest life, even until her death her life circumstances were extremely modest. In fact, most of her family and friends didn’t know she was a millionaire until her will was read out after her passing. And her story reminds us that it is possible to be a millionaire, but not to live like one. Spiritually, if you are a Christian, you are a spiritual millionaire. You have every spiritual blessing in Christ. It is not possible to get more blessed. And yet, it is possible to live as though you had no blessings, or as though you only had a few blessings.

Paul is praying that the eyes of their hearts would be enlightened so that they could know just how blessed they are in Christ. Paul prays that we might grasp, in our hearts, the value of what God has done for us in Christ. And that deepening relational knowledge of God happens when, by His Spirit, he opens the eyes of our hearts. It is impossible without the insight given by the Holy Spirit—who is here described as the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. That’s because the Holy Spirit is the one who reveals, the one who gives insight, the one who opens the eyes of our hearts, our spiritual eyes that we might see God.

And so Paul prays that we might grasp, in our hearts, the value of what God has done for us in Christ. And that deepening relational knowledge of God happens when, by His Spirit, he opens the eyes of our hearts. It is impossible without the insight given by the Holy Spirit—who is here described as the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. That’s because the Holy Spirit is the one who reveals, the one who gives insight, the one who opens the eyes of our hearts, our spiritual eyes that we might see God.

And I want to make an emphasis on the focus Paul places on the heart. Paul prays for their hearts to receive spiritual illumination.

Contrast this with other legitimate things. When praying for others, we often pray for their circumstances. We pray for relationships, health, money, work, etc. And of course those are all good things to pray for. But I wonder if we have been influenced enough by Paul’s priorities in prayer? There would have certainly been all manner of practical and circumstantial issues Paul may have prayed for. But the prayer item that he includes here, the primary thing he is praying for them, has to do with their hearts ability to know God better. The nature of prayer is for spiritual knowledge, more than challenging circumstances.

Illustrate: when you pray for a friend, it is good and right to pray for them in the midst of their challenges. But can I ask you to also pray for their hearts? Pray that God would, by His Spirit, open the eyes of our hearts?

And I want to make an emphasis on the focus Paul places on the heart. Paul prays for their hearts to receive spiritual illumination. Contrast this with other legitimate things. When praying for others, we often pray for their circumstances. We pray for relationships, health, money, work, etc. And of course those are all good things to pray for. But I wonder if we have been influenced enough by Paul’s priorities in prayer? There would have certainly been all manner of practical and circumstantial issues Paul may have prayed for. But the prayer item that he includes here, the primary thing he is praying for them, has to do with their hearts ability to know God better.

Example prayer: Father, you know that Bongeka is struggling with her illness. You know how worried Theo is about his aging Mom. You know how stressed Liam and Eloise are about their mortgage payments. Please provide health, wisdom and finances for my friends. But I thank you that they have trusted in Christ, and have every spiritual blessing. Please open the eyes of their hearts so that they might grasp more deeply all that you have done for them.

The nature of prayer is for spiritual knowledge, not improved circumstances.

Perhaps it sounds like you’re not really praying for what they need—but that’s exactly the problem. We tend to be so aware of, and focused on, material concerns that our more significant spiritual concerns simply fade into the background. Let’s allow Paul’s prayer priorities to shape the way we pray for others.

Apply: when you pray for others, when you pray for Jubilee, please pray that we would know God better. Please pray that God would enlighten the eyes of our hearts, that we might know Him — not just in our understanding but in our experience.

So that’s what praying for others is. The nature of prayer. Now, let’s what we should pray for—the content of prayer.

The Content of Prayer

Pray that we would grasp our certain hope

Paul’s first prayer request is that the Ephesians would have a firm grasp of their future hope. That they would have a firm awareness of all the blessings just mentioned, knowing that God has chosen them, redeemed them, sealed them, and will one day bring everything under the headship, the authority, of Christ.

This hope is not merely a desire, it is a certain future reality, an absolutely secure destiny, and therefore becomes an unshakable foundation for the Christian. The Christian life is built on, and sustained by, the reality of our future hope. Knowing that history will come to an end with the return of Christ, knowing that all things will come under his authority, knowing that there is going to be a resurrection of the dead, a final judgement, and an eternal reward—knowing all these things gives the believer hope.

And that hope gives you help in dealing with the difficulties and injustices and trials of this life. In other words, hope enables you to persevere. Hope prevents you from becoming bitter. Hope gives us joy even when our circumstances are overwhelming. Hope evens purifies us cleanses us.

1 John 3:2–3 NIV

Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

1 John 3:2 NIV

Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

JI Packer: I walked in the sunshine with a scholar who had effectively forfeited his prospects of academic advancement by clashing with church dignitaries over the gospel of grace. ‘But it doesn’t matter’, he said at length, ‘because I’ve known God.’ The remark was a mere parenthesis, a passing comment on something I had said, but it has stuck with me, and set me thinking. Not many of us, I think, would ever naturally say that we have known God. The words imply a definiteness and matter-of-factness of experience to which most of us, if we are honest, have to admit are still strangers. We claim, perhaps, to have a testimony that we can rattle off with the best of them…but can we say that we have known God? I doubt it, for I suspect that with most of us experience of God has never become as vivid as that.

Apply: Have you grasped the truth about your future hope? How firm is your awareness of this hope? Does it console you in the midst of disappointment and upset? Does it strengthen you and empower you?

And how often do you pray for others, that they might grasp the certain hope that is theirs in Christ?

Pray that we would sense our value to God

The “riches of his glorious inheritance in His people” refers not to our inheritance, but to God’s inheritance. And God’s inheritance, here as in the Old Testament, refers to His people.

Deuteronomy 9:29 NIV

But they are your people, your inheritance that you brought out by your great power and your outstretched arm.”

Deut

We are God’s possession—His inheritance. Like Israel at the time of the Exodus, we are God’s redeemed people, and we belong to Him, and we are valuable to Him.

Illustration: if you were an extremely wealthy business person, what would your retirement plan be? Where would you spend your retirement? Who would you spend your retirement with?

Do you know what God’s retirement plan is? You. Me. Us. We are what he has been working for all through the years, and one day it will be just us and Him, together forever—that’s how much he values us. That’s how much he loves us.

Apply: Do you know how much God loves you? Paul wants his readers to know just how deeply God cherishes and values his people. We—you and me—are God’s valuable and glorious inheritance. Do you have a clear and firm sense of your value to God?

Prayer that we would access God’s power

The third and final request is that God will reveal to these believers an awareness of the incomparably great power of God working in their lives. Notice the emphatic language: God’s power is incomparably great, his strength is “mighty strength”. Paul’s point simply is that God is immeasurably powerful, that no other power can compete with God’s power—and what’s more, that power is (take a look at verse 19) for us who believe. God’s power is available to us. Now. Here. Today.

Now, what exactly does that mean? Does accessing the power of God turn us into a spiritual superhero? Well, no and yes. No—in the sense that it won’t turn you into a magician. But as Paul unfolds the message of this letter, he will show that God’s power can enable you to accomplish a variety of good works throughout your lifetime (2:10). God’s power can enable you to overcome racism and live in unity with others in the church (2:14–16). God’s power can enable you to develop patience, humility, and gentleness (4:2–3). God’s power can enable you to live a life of love and sacrifice (5:1–2). God’s power can enable you to serve others by using your spiritual gift (4:7–16). God’s power can enable you to get rid of ungodly practices like sexual immorality, greed, lying, anger and rage, stealing, dirty talk, alcohol abuse (4:25–5:18). God’s power can enable you to develop healthy family relationships (5:22–6:9). And, finally, God’s power can enable you to resist demonic spirits and engage successfully in spiritual warfare (6:12).

resist demonic spirits (6:12)

accomplish a variety of good works throughout their lifetimes (2:10)

overcome racism and live in unity with others different from themselves in the church (2:14–16)

develop patience, humility, and gentleness (4:2–3)

God’s power is available to us. Which is good news because it means that he is powerful enough to get us from where we are to the place where we want to be—in God’s eternal presence, basking in his love. What will ensure that we make it all the way home? The power of God—and so Paul wants us to know that God’s immeasurable power is available to us today.

live a life of love and sacrifice (5:1–2)

serve others by using your spiritual gift (4:7–16)

Illustrate: there’s no such things spiritual load-shedding! So let’s not live as though we were in stage 6 load-shedding when, in reality, we have access to God’s incomparably great power.

get rid of ungodly practices like sexual immorality, greed, lying, anger and rage, stealing, dirty talk, alcohol abuse (4:25–5:18)

develop healthy family relationships (5:22–6:9).

Apply: Do you know this? Do you access God’s power? And do you pray this for others?

So we’ve considered what prayer is (the nature of prayer). We’ve seen what to prayer for (the content of prayer). The passage ends showing us why we should pray—the assurance of prayer.

The Assurance of Prayer

We’re learning that when it comes to praying others, we should be praying for their spiritual knowledge and power. But why should we do this? How do we know it will make any difference?

The answer is simple: God has a track record of using His power on behalf on His people—and that power is still available today.

Look at God’s power in Christ (read verse 19b-21). Paul gives us assurance that this power is available to believers today by reciting how God’s power was revealed in Jesus’ resurrection, ascension and exaltation to the place of supreme sovereignty.

God’s power in Christ is performed for you—take a look at verse 22 (read). God the Father has exalted God the Son over everything—for the church (compare with verse 19: this power is for “us who believe”). The exaltation of Christ is for your benefit!

And to provide us with even more assurance—look at how we are described in verse 23 (read). We are His body, we are filled with him, as Paul will go on to say in chapter two, we are now the Temple which God fills with His Spirit. Think of how closely Jesus identifies with you this morning. He is the head, and we are the body. He comes to make his home within our hearts. And his exaltation over all things is for our benefit.

Verse 23 (read). We are His body, we are filled with him, as Paul will go on to say in chapter two, we are now the Temple which God fills with His Spirit. Think of how closely Jesus identifies with you this morning. He is the head, and we are the body. He comes to make his home within our hearts. And his exaltation over all things is for our benefit.

We are His body, we are filled with him, we are the reason he has done this.

So why should you pray? Because when you pray to God, you are praying to someone who has a track record of leveraging resurrection power on your behalf. When you pray to God, you are praying to someone who has exalted Jesus above all things, for your benefit—you are His body. This power is made available to you and me, today. That’s assurance in prayer, if that doesn’t encourage and motivate us to pray, then nothing will.

Let’s pray for each other. Let’s pray that God would open the eyes of our hearts so that we would grow in the knowledge of God and experience the power of God.