Paul's Prayer For You
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Paul is here expressing his thankfulness to God for the believers in Ephesus. He prays for their growth in knowledge as well as obedience to Christ who is over all.
Intro
Intro
Do you need hope today?
Do you need some power today?
Do you want to know what Love is today?
Super Bowl Sunday - LA Rams / Cinci Bengals
Valentines Day… Tomorrow
The Message of Ephesians 2. A Prayer for Knowledge (1:15–23)
First, he blesses God for having blessed us in Christ; then he prays that God will open our eyes to grasp the fullness of this blessing.
Paul prays for you
Drew and I prayed for you
You pray for each other
PRAY RIGHT NOW!!
PRAYER
Message
Message
Ephesians 1:15–16 (ESV)
15 For this reason...
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. 11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 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, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers,
Love and Faith go hand and hand.
Has anyone heard of your love?
Let us commit to having both our faith and love heard!!
When this is so Paul gives praise to God
Thank God for the evidences of grace in His people!!
17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 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, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might
Eph 1.9 “9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ”
You can only know God by divine enlightenment.
The Knowledge of God
things about Him and not know Him
The Knowledge of God’s Calling
know it exists and yet never marvel
The Knowledge of God’s Riches
understand the concept but never make a withdraw
The Knowledge of God’s Power
knowledge of God
knowledge of Jesus
knowledge of the gospel
knowledge of the inheritance
knowledge of the great power (resurrection)
knowledge of his position
knowledge of his rule
knowledge of his bride
given by the spirit
enlightening our hearts
This is what Paul prays for… for us
Ask God for divine illumination!!
Ephesians: An Expositional Commentary (Time with God)
Harry Ironside tells of meeting a very godly man early in his ministry. The man was dying of tuberculosis, and Ironside had gone to visit him. His name was Andrew Fraser. He could barely speak above a whisper. His lungs were almost gone. Yet he said, “Young man, you are trying to preach Christ, are you not?”“Yes, I am,” replied Ironside.“Well,” he said, “sit down a little, and let us talk together about the Word of God.” He opened his Bible, and until his strength was gone he opened up one passage after another, teaching truths that Ironside at that time had never seen or appreciated. Before long tears were running down Ironside’s cheeks, and he asked, “Where did you get these things? Can you tell me where I can find a book that will open them up to me? Did you get them in a seminary or college?”Fraser replied, “My dear young man, I learned these things on my knees on the mud floor of a little sod cottage in the north of Ireland. There with my open Bible before me, I used to kneel for hours at a time and ask the Spirit of God to reveal Christ to my soul and to open the Word to my heart, and he taught me more on my knees on that mud floor than I ever could have learned in all the seminaries or colleges in the world.”That is the secret. It is not intelligence, outstanding instruction, or academic degrees. It is time spent with God. It is to people who sit at Jesus’ feet that God opens his heart.
19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 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. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
Your only hope is in your position in Christ.
God’s Mighty Power
4 Words in Greek
Ephesians 1:19 (NASB95) and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might
Power - Dynamis - great potential
Working - Energia - functioning operationally
Strength - Kratos - exercised in control
Might - Ischys - bodily exertion
By way of illustration, a bulldozer has the ability, capacity, and potential strength of rooting out trees. One may sense its inherent strength (ischus), but when its engine roars and it begins to move, its force of power (kratos) becomes active (energeia) as it demonstrates its ability to topple trees in its path. Thus, an intimate knowledge of God enables believers to experience the incredible greatness of God’s power available to them.
Surpassing !!
Rom 1.16 “16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”
Ephesians Awareness of the Headship of Christ over the Church (1:22–23)
Just as it is possible, when hiking through mountainous areas, to devote so much attention to finding the right trail, observing the compass, studying the geology of the area, learning statistics about elevation and so on that we miss the beauty of the peak, so one can study this marvelous, exegetically intricate passage and miss the wonder of the person of Christ.
Resurrection Power
Sin
Death
Satan
Ruling Power
we can be victorious because He lives
Resist and He will flee
More than conquerors
No one can snatch us away.
Redemptive Power
to have Christ fill the church
to have the church fill Christ
Praise God for Christ’s exultation
Close
Close
Let us therefore also pray for God’s Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation that we too might ever be growing in the knowledge of
The Hope of God’s Call
The Glory of God’s Inheritance
The Greatness of God’s Power
PRAYER
Group Questions
Group Questions
Similar prayers found in Eph 3:14-21 and Col 1:9-12
What is a prayer you have been praying that you have not seen the answer to yet? What is a praise you have that was an answer to prayer in your life?
How often are you thankful to God for fellow believers? Have you told a fellow believer this lately? How can you foster this?
What in this passage taught you the most about prayer? What do you think is missing in your prayer life?
What kinds of requests are brought up at most prayer meetings? How are Paul’s petitions for the believers in Ephesus different?
How is illumination different from inspiration? Why do we need divine illumination?
What practical difference would it make if we understood our hope, inheritance, and power better?
What do you find most difficult to believe in this passage? Why?
What does this passage say about the exaltation of Jesus? How might/should living with this awareness affect our lives?
How is Paul’s view of the church different from the view taken by most Christians today? What would happen if we took a high view of the church?
Will you commit to praying through this prayer this week?