"What We Pray For"

Introduction: The incredible connection between praise and prayer is pronounced in this first chapter of Ephesians. What we is Paul giving us two magnificent Greek sentences, one with the aim of praise and one with the aim of prayer. And connection is so vitally important for the church. Prayer without praise is often aimless or aimed at the wronged things. Praise without prayer is often powerless and dispassionate, because we have neglected to speak to the One whom our worship is pointed to.

Today, this passage will help us in regards to prayer. It’s that one subject I think many of us know we should do, believe we should do, but sometimes can be hard to do. I think one of those reasons is that prayer can often seem and feel aimless. Paul has an aim for the book of Ephesians, and therefore has aim to his prayer. That prayer is found here, and seeing how the Scriptures teach us to pray is vital to a powerful prayer, both individually, and especially, corporately.

READ PASSAGE

CTS: Because Jesus is the church’s sole hope and authority, pray that we would grow in our knowledge of Him.

Whom We Pray For: The Church

FIRST, the direction of this prayer is important for us, though not exclusive to whom we pray for. Paul isn’t saying don’t pray for people outside the church. He makes it very clear in other areas of the Bible that we are to pray for leaders, governments, unbelievers, etc.

Yet the importance of praying for the church cannot be understated. The church as God’s possession, his inheritance, is the means by which he will proclaim salvation to the world. It would be in the best interest of us to be praying for other churches, and each other as this church, corporately as a body at MBC.

The church at Ephesus already has a good track record. He states so here in this letter that when He does pray, he makes mention of their faith and their love. These two aspects of the Christian life truly drive each believer and the church. What is the church tobe known by? Their faith and love. Here are two good questions we need to ask ourselves as a church.

Does our faith in Jesus as a church show forth in our actions?

Is our love toward one another as brothers and sisters in Christ evident?

What Do We Pray For?

He remembers them in prayer, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t need more of God and His work in their lives. No church is perfect. The church needs to be prayed for in order for us to be more like we are called to be, His possession. And that prayer is rooted in who God is and knowing Him.

John Stott says:

What Paul does in Ephesians 1, and therefore encourages us to copy, is both to keep praising God that in Christ all spiritual blessings are ours and to keep praying that we may know the fullness of what he has given us. If we keep together praise and prayer, benediction and petition, we are unlikely to lose our spiritual equilibrium.

Whom do we pray to? The Triune God.

What do we pray for? We pray this for the church...

I. Give Us the Spirit’s Wisdom (17)

We should as the church be praying for the church, one another and other churches, that God would give us the Holy Spirit of wisdom and revelation. In other words, we should plead with God that He would give us wisdom that only come’s from the Holy Spirit himself.

The word Spirit here in the ESV is capitalized, and I believe that this is idea of the text here. Paul is telling us that it is in the Spirit that we truly can have wisdom.

What is wisdom? Wisdom is knowledge applied. And that knowledge is rooted in our relationship with God himself, as Paul says clearly here wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.

One thing that I always want to dispel is the notion that there are some people in the church that are called to know their Bibles better, or, as I have heard said many times before throughout my time in ministry: I am not a theologian. And I understand what some are trying to say. They often think that going to seminary is a prerequisite to being a theologian. But let me correct that idea and I hope you take it to heart right now. EVERYONE IS A THEOLOGIAN. The question is: Are you a good one or a bad one?

Each church member should be growing as a disciple in their knowledge of God. That is what theology is. The study of God. That isn’t just meant for pastors or seminary professors or people that write books. That is the calling of every believer, that we would study who God is and live in light of who He is as His people.

What is revelation? But part of that study is that God reveals Himself. Remember what Jesus said about the Holy Spirit and what He would do.

John 14:25–26 ESV

25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

The Holy Spirit would work in the apostles to bring to remembrance and solidify what they already knew about Jesus. That’s the key here. We aren’t asking God to give us new theology. That kind of mentality often leads to heresy and bad doctrine. We aren’t asking the Holy Spirit to lead us to do things that aren’t revealed already. No, we ask the Holy Spirit to show us who God is and how to apply those truths to our hearts so that we can carry out the mission that is already been revealed. That now is given to us in the form of the Scriptures.

Application: So what is the application of this then? We must cry out to God in our lives and the life of the church here and our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ across the world that we would have the Holy Spirit’s wisdom upon us, revealed clearly, and lived out accordingly. That we would know God better, His Word.

James 1:5 ESV

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

And what is that we would know better? The spiritual blessings of knowing Him!

II. Give Us Enlightened Hearts (18)

There must be an awakening by God constantly in us in order for us to see what He has given us. Paul spent a large portion of time reminding the believers in Ephesus of their spiritual blessings in Christ. And then he prays that they would grasp those incredible blessings.

A. Called hope (18)

God has called us to a hope. But what does that hope entail? That hope entails something we have in possession now and will one day in full possess. Its a new life that begins in Christ and we will take full possession of at the resurrection.

The Message of Ephesians (1. The Hope of God’s Call)

All this was in God’s mind when he called us. He called us to Christ and holiness, to freedom and peace, to suffering and glory. More simply, it was a call to an altogether new life in which we know, love, obey and serve Christ, enjoy fellowship with him and with each other, and look beyond our present suffering to the glory which will one day be revealed. This is the hope to which he has called you. Paul prays that our eyes may be opened to know it. - Stott

We pray this. God, open the eyes of our hearts to know the hope to which we are called. We know that when you do so, it will give us great encouragement and will sustain us in the darkest of days. This hope will keep us on mission, no matter what the cost, because have hope now, and we have a greater hope for the future.

READ 2 CORINTHIANS 4:7-18 FROM BIBLE

Prayer: God, would enlighten our hearts to see the hope to which you have called us?

The hope of being redeemed from sin and the freedom it entails

The hope of being made his possession, His people

The hope of being one body, the church, in which all dividing lines are done away with.

The hope of being a servant of the Lord Jesus

The hope of suffering for his sake when the world opposes us

The hope of eternal life

B. Rich inheritance (18)

The inheritance of being His own possession: The rich inheritance now is that we are God’s possession. What a wonderful thing to behold, for we were once enemies of God, sons of disobedience, children of wrath. We will see this glory set forth in next week’s text. But we are no longer this, for we are in Christ. In Christ, we are made God’s people. It’s not by being part of a particular country that makes someone Christian. It’s by being bought and made His people through the precious blood, the righteous sacrifice of Jesus the Son.

The inheritance of eternal life: That means we experience life eternal, and that life begins now. Freedom from the power of sin is possible. God is redeeming us now, making broken things right. He is showing His glory by changing us and making a community of believers, the church, as a lighthouse of His grace. Your inheritance isn’t a prosperity Gospel mentality, a new you that will overcome all obstacles. You are never promised that. But you are promised to be His people, and that when the obstacles come, God will use them to mold us and shape us to be His own people, to show grace and mercy, to show that the surpassing worth of life belongs to Christ. And one day, all the struggles of this life will be slight momentary afflictions in comparison to the eternal weight of glory.

Oh God, would you show us the inheritance you have laid up for us? The inheritance of Holy Spirit we know who is the promise for what’s to come. Oh the inheritance now, the joy of knowing that you are making us more like your son Jesus. That sin is being broken in my life, that you are pruning me for your purposes.

That there is a rich inheritance coming, one that we do away with sin, sickness, death. A life that will no longer have the struggles of life. No more broken homes, broken societies, and broken bodies.

Jesus you said that you will come again. That you have gone to prepare a place for us. We look forward to that hope realized...

But even then, help us to realize the rich inheritance that we have now.

C. Resurrection Power (19-20)

And Paul prays that the church would realize the power that they been given by God, through Christ.

The same power that was shown forth in Christ, that resurrection power and His ascension, powers the church. You see, we must grasp the Gospel and its power in the church. We should see how powerful our God is to redeem sinful hunanity through the death of Jesus and His resurrection and ascension.

The power of the church is the same power of the resurrection, because we are benficiaries of that power. He has powerfully resurrected us, In Christ we have been made alive with him. That’s you church. If we would grasp that God has empowered each of us, individually and corporately with this power, we will realize and be able to do what He has called us to do.

Paul prayed this for himself in Philippians.

Philippians 3:10 ESV

10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,

And we pray this now: God, help us to grasp more and more, everyday, the power that you have given us. Resurrection power. We are not a powerless people. We are not without what we need. As a matter of fact, we must pray that power be realized for each of us.

Help us do all things in the power that you have given us, not our own. May that power always point to the gospel message. Our power isn’t about anything other than proclaiming the Gospel and making disciples. Help us to live in power in our world, reflecting Jesus and showing that we were once dead in our sins, but but now we have been made alive with Christ.

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All of this reminds us that often prayer is not asking for new blessings to be bestowed on us. Prayer is often asking God to reveal to us what we already have and to know that we have Him. The effective church is one that knows the one in whom we have been given hope, the inheritance that He has given us, and the power that He has given us as His people to carry out the mission that He has called us to.

We don’t need a new revealed Word from God to know what He wants us to do. We don’t need what a “second blessing.”

John Stott again says:

So what is his request? It is not that they may receive a ‘second blessing’, but rather that they may appreciate to the fullest possible extent the implications of the blessing they have already received.

III. Give Us King Jesus (21-23)

And this power is the same power that is found in Jesus, the resurrected King who sits on the throne.

He is King over all spiritual authorities: It’s good to know the One whom we worship and serve, our Savior, is King over every spiritual authority. Satan and every demon answers to Jesus, and one day, he will make them all his footstool in full.

Psalm 110:1 ESV

1 The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”

He is King over all names

He is also King over every name that is named. This age and the age to come. In other words, past, present, and future, Jesus is King. And He cannot be thwarted. This gives us great confidence as his people. No matter what comes, no matter when all seems lost, Jesus is King over all. Every president, every politician, every country, every ruler, every person. Jesus isn’t sitting at the right hand of the Father, wringing his hands, worrying and wondering if everything will work out. No, He is in complete control. No matter who claims to hold ultimate authority, its Jesus who is the name above every name.

Psalm 8:6 ESV

6 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet,

1 Corinthians 15:24 ESV

24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power.

He is King over the church

Jesus is king over the church. His body, a necessary part of His plan, He fills it so that the church fills the world with Him. Remember, we are His people. We don’t make Jesus more or fill Him up, He fills us up and then we go to fill the world with the Gospel, with more disciples, changing the world and the culture with the grace of God. But only a church that realizes who is the head of it can truly do this kingdom work.

And church, we desperately need to pray that we would realize who the head of the church is. Jesus. We want King Jesus to rule this place. Its not about us. Its not about me. Its not about you. Its about Christ as His will for us. His revealed will in His Word. Everything under the headship of Christ.

Colossians 1:18 ESV

18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.

This is why we must pray that we recognize his will, that God would reveal that to us clearly from His Word. That we will always ask the question, is this what Jesus wants us to do, from His revealed Word. And I pray that you and me would be willing, when the time comes, and He says, no, you need to change that, that we will say, Yes Lord. That when He says, you haven’t been doing this like you should, we say, Yes Lord, we’ll change. I know sometimes change is scary, but if we seek God’s Word, there is going to be times where He has to change us. That’s growth. NO church is perfect, every church has areas to grow in. And when Jesus is head over the church, we should pray that we will always submit to His will,revealed supremely in the Scriptures, this Bible.

Lord, help us to always recognize who is head of the church. Your Son Jesus is King over the church, not us. May our lives and our actions, individually and corporately as MBC be reflecting that wonderful truth.

Application: Church, we need to be praying these prayers for each other. We need to pray for spiritual matters. Pray that each one of us would grow in the knowledge of the Lord. And then we need to follow up and exhort one another and ask these type of questions. How is your walk with the Lord. Are you seeking His knowledge from the Bible? Are you seeking to know Him more and more? Pray for spiritual growth among the body of Christ. For your Sunday School class. For the person sitting in the pew beside you. For your deacons. For your associate pastor. For me as your pastor. For your best friend in the church that you’ve known forever. Take out that directory or ask our secretary to email you a copy of the directory and pray for a few families a day.

And here’s another point of application. This is the easiest application today for me to make, but maybe one that you need to take to heart. You can put this passage into action with a few easy steps. Wednesday evening, get into your vehicle, close the door. Crank the engine, drive to here, walk into the church a little before 7:30pm and join us for corporate prayer. Yes, I know that many of you work and you may be tired. I get it. But let me tell you something, prayer is the engine in which the church operates. And here is how I operate on Wednesday nights. We pray primarily for the spiritual matters of the church. That doesn’t mean that I think praying for the sick is unimportant. We do pray for those urgent requests and areas. But we desperately need to spend more time praying for eternal matters rather regarding salvation and discipleship in the church. That’s our primary task. And we do that every Wednesday. Will you join us? Yeah, it might take some sacrifice. But there is no more important work than what happens on Wednesday nights in prayer.

And you may be thinking, Chris, it’s so hard for me to pray. I just don’t know how. And that’s what I hope this text will show you today. Start somewhere. Start with this text. Pray this text over someone in your life. Start with your spouse or your kids. Your grandchildren. Pray this text over your neighbors, your fellow church members. And also, ask Jesus to teach you to pray. That’s what I love about praying Scripture. God teaches us how to pray from His Word. As a believer in the Lord Jesus, you have everything you need to pray. Talk simply with Him. Pray what He shows us to pray in the Bible. Trust Him with results. I promise you, the spiritual benefits will be greater than you can ever imagine. I’ll take 5 minutes of someone sincerely asking God to grow them and others in their knowledge of Him than the vain empty long prayers of earthly things any day. And I believe that those prayers will grow in time as you grow in your knowledge of Him.

So what you are you praying for? Because Jesus is the church’s sole hope and authority, pray that we would grow in our knowledge of Him.