Ephesians 1:15-23

Paul’s Prayer

Open your Bible to…

1Th. 5:25 Brethren, pray for us.

Pray

Intro

√ Paul’s prayer

Have you ever felt led to pray for someone but not known what to pray?

In those times may I suggest that you look to the prayers recorded in the Bible for inspiration as to how to pray for others.

That is, we find scattered through the pages of the Bible the record of prayers made by the heroes of the faith and even by Jesus Himself that provide great models for how to pray when we don’t know what to ask.

Many are for specific people and situations, but others like Paul’s prayer in verses 15-23, have a broad application for all people and all time.

So, to pray the things that Paul asked for the Christians in Ephesus is beneficial for anyone the Lord might put on our heart.

I’m not saying that we should mindlessly pray rote prayers, rather, prayers like the one found in our text provide a good model that we can personalize to fit the situation we face.

What did Paul ask God to do for the Ephesians? He prayed that they might know God and the…

Hope of His calling

Riches of His inheritance

Greatness of His power

That is, after reviewing the riches that they had available to them through their relationship with Jesus in the opening verses…

…he now prayed that they might enjoy the greatest wealth of all, a personal and intimate relationship with God Himself!

Ap. The greatest treasure

The greatest treasure isn’t gold, or jewels, or mountains of cash…

…it’s a personal relationship with God.

That’s because God created us in such a way that we can’t experience real life, joy, contentment, or peace without Him!

We have a void in our soul that can’t be filled with material treasures.

Only God fills that void and that makes a relationship with Him the greatest treasure we can obtain!

Perhaps that’s why I hate the so-called “Prosperity teaching” that permeates Christian TV.

It makes material treasure the focus of the Christian experience and thereby robs believers of the greatest riches of all…

…a relationship with God!

So, the next time you’re moved to pray for someone and don’t know what to pray…

…follow Paul’s lead and pray as he did for the Ephesians.

Paul’s Prayer (vs. 15-16)

Eph. 1:15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,

Eph. 1:16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:

√ Paul’s prayer

Verses 15-23 contain Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians. What makes it difficult to teach is that it is one long sentence in the original text!

Even in our English translations you’ll note that there are no periods until the end of verse 23!

That makes it a bit awkward to try and break down into bite-sized chunks to teach.

But if you failed English grammar and are given to penning run-on sentences you might find some encouragement here!

Paul wrote this prayer along with the prayers recorded in his letter to the Philippians and the Colossians while he was in a Roman prison.

In each prayer his desire is to share with those that he led to faith in Christ the awesome blessings (riches) he had discovered while chained to a Roman guard.

He wanted them to enjoy those same riches!

What’s fascinating is that not once in his prayer does he speak of material blessings!

Rather, his emphasis is on spiritual perception so that they might know and experience the true Christian life!

For example, you’ll notice as we work through the text that Paul doesn’t ask God to give them what they don’t have…

…rather, he prays that God will reveal to them what they already have but are not experiencing!

Ex. No New Testament!

Remember that Christians in the 1^st Century did not have a New Testament.

Churches like Ephesus were founded on the preaching of the Gospel by men like Paul who often didn’t stay in any one city for very long.

Paul had spent almost 3 years in Ephesus during his second visit and had established a strong church, but after his departure they were left on their own to wade through the Old Testament to try and discern on their own what they were entitled in their relationship with Christ.

Letters like the one before us are how the Lord brought the knowledge of our New Testament privileges to those early Christians.

Put yourself in their sandals and try to imagine how difficult it would be to grasp the fullness of our inheritance in Christ by just reading the Old Testament!

Most Christians today don’t even read the Old Testament!

The point is that God used the Apostles, Peter, John, Paul and the others to unveil the mysteries of the Old Testament through the writing of the New Testament!

So, Paul prayed for the Ephesians often, asking God to open their spiritual eyes so that they might know and experience all the benefits they had in Christ.

Ap. When you don’t know how to pray

During the course of the week the Lord brings you all to mind.

Sometimes I know what to pray for you, other times I have no idea!

That’s when I find Paul’s prayer helpful because every believer at every time in their life will benefit from the things that are prayed here!

That You Might Know God (vs. 17)

Eph. 1:17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,

√ That them might know God

People today as well as in the 1^st Century have many opinions about God…

The atheist says that there is no God and therefore you can’t know Him.

The agnostic says that God, or gods, do exist but that it is not possible to know Him, or them.

But Paul had met God on the road to Damascus in the Person of Jesus Christ!

His life was radically changed by that encounter!

Everything he thought he knew about God was changed when Jesus revealed Himself to Paul and then taught him the truth about Himself and eternity.

Paul understood that the most important knowledge a person can gain is the knowledge of God as He reveals Himself through Jesus Christ!

So, Paul asked God to give his friends…

“…the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.” ~ vs. 17

Better translated…

“…to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.”

That is, Paul’s prayer is that the believers in Ephesus would not be stagnate regarding what they already knew about God…

…but would continue to learn more and more about Him!

That they would have a growing theology!

Why?

Because the more they knew about God the more they would love Him!

Ap. When you don’t know how to pray

All that a person may know about God is revealed through His Creation, His Word and most perfectly through His Son.

But, an entire lifetime is not sufficient to know everything about God…

…we’ll always be growing in our theology!

For example…

To know God personally brings salvation ~ John 17:3

To grow in our knowledge of God brings sanctification ~ Phil. 3:10

To know God perfectly is glorification ~ I Cor. 13:9-12

That’s one reason it’s so exciting to be a Christian! Each day as we walk with the Lord we learn new things about…

His character

His love for us

His thoughts toward us

His plans for us

And the more we know God the more we’ll experience the blessings that He has given us!

We understand then why Paul prayed that his friends in Ephesus would grow in their knowledge of Him!

So, if you don’t know what to pray for someone…

…pray that they would grow in their knowledge of God!

That You Might Know God’s Calling (vs. 18a)

Eph. 1:18a the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling…

√ That you might know God’s calling

When Christians today speak of God’s “calling” we often think of it in the context of a pastor or missionary who is called into full time ministry.

While it certainly does mean that, the word as it’s used in the Bible isn’t limited to those in full time ministry!

According to the Scripture we’re all called by God!

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;” ~ 1 Peter 2:9

And…

“…who has saved us and called us with a holy calling.” ~ 2 Tim. 1:9

Paul’s prayer for his friends is that they might know the hope of their calling!

His desire for the Christians in Ephesus is that they would fully comprehend the glorious plans that the Father has for them in the future.

That His calling, while it may prove difficult this side of eternity (persecution, prison and even death)…

…was guaranteed to produce eternal blessings that would erase all the hardship they endured on earth as a result of responding to His call.

√ Hope

It’s important to understand that the word hope…

“that you may know what is the hope of His calling…” Vs. 18a

Isn’t used here as we might use it today, that is, it doesn’t mean, “hope so”…

“I hope I don’t lose my job”

“I hope I win the lottery”

That kind of hope is uncertain at best!

The hope that Paul speaks of implies a rock-solid assurance of a great future for the believer because God has promised it!

Another way to think of the hope we have is that it is the absolute certainty of the victory we have in Christ!

It’s the anticipation of the return of Christ, of heaven, glory, a new body and all the wonderful promises that God has given, promises we’re sure of…

…but haven’t yet seen or experienced.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” ~ Heb. 11:1

So, Paul’s prayer was that his friends in Ephesus would understand their calling so that they might have hope and find daily encouragement as they faced the trials of this life.

Ap. When you don’t know how to pray

Many Christians get discouraged in life because they mistakenly believe that when they gave their life to Christ that all their troubles would disappear!

The reality is that for many that’s when our troubles begin!

Jesus never promised that following Him would be easy.

Rather, He promised that it would be worth it!

When you don’t know how to pray for a believer who is facing difficult times, or may be discouraged, or filled with doubt…

…pray that would understand their calling and as they do that their hearts would be filled with hope as they look forward to al that God has promised.

Ex. Marathon ~ have to keep looking to the finish line

So, when you find yourself discouraged about life, or tempted to question the goodness of God…

…call to remembrance your calling and all that God has planned for you in eternity!

That You Might Know God’s Inheritance (vs. 18b)

Eph. 1:18b …what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

√ That you might know God’s inheritance

Paul has already spoken at length about our inheritance, all that God has given us.

But, here Paul prays that the believers would be encouraged by the knowledge that they are God’s inheritance!

Look at vs. 18 again…

“…what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,”

Not “our” inheritance, but God’s!

Paul has in view that future moment when all the saints are redeemed at the Rapture/Resurrection.

At that moment God will inherit those whom He purchased with His own blood.

What an amazing truth that God would look upon us as part of His wealth!

That may be hard to swallow because we know ourselves well enough to know that we’re damaged goods at best!

But the Bible tells us that God sees us as we will be when He has completed His work in us!

Ex. Car restoration

I have some friends who can take a rusted hunk of metal from a junkyard and restore it showroom quality!

All I can see is wasted metal that has no hope for any use except to be recycled into nails!

But, to those with the skill to restore a car they can see it finished in their minds-eye.

Rust removed, body and frame repaired and straightened, new interior, fresh motor and a hand rubbed multi-layer lacquer paint job.

That’s how God see us!

Not the sin-tainted, corrupted, broken person we are today…

…but the new you that He has planned for eternity!

So, we can rejoice today knowing that God isn’t looking at us as we are today…

…because He sees us as we will be when He has completed His work in us.

Ap. When you don’t know how to pray

Pray as Paul did and ask God to help the person you’re praying for to know with certainty that God values them and already sees them perfect in eternity.

That You Might Know God’s Power (vs. 19-23)

Eph. 1:19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power

Eph. 1:20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,

Eph. 1:21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

Eph. 1:22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,

Eph. 1:23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

√ That you might know God’s power

Paul closes his prayer for the Ephesians by asking God to help them to understand God’s power and how it works in their lives, look at vs. 19 in context with vs. 18…

Eph. 118b that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

Eph. 1:19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power

In fact, Paul uses a number of different Greek words in vs. 19 to communicate just how awesome God’s power is in our lives!

Dunamis ~ “power” as in dynamite!

Energeia ~ “working” as in power that is effective!

Kratos ~ “mighty” as in the force or ability to do the job!

Ischus ~ “power” as in dominion or control over!

Anytime the Holy Spirit repeats Himself we should take notice because it tells us that He wants us to get a hold of the truth that He’s communicating!

The truth here is that God has made available to us all the power we need to live the same abundant, victorious, joy-filled Christian life that Jesus did!

How great is that power?

It’s the same power that raised Jesus from the dead and placed Him in Heaven from where He now rules over the universe!

The point is that God has given believers all the power necessary to conquer every obstacle that the Devil places in our path! As Paul wrote to another group of believers…

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” ~ Phil. 4:13

Paul’s desire for his friends in Ephesus was that they would know and apprehend the power of God so that they might live a victorious Christian life.

Ap. When you don’t know how to pray

Maybe you’re praying for a Christian friend who has fallen back into drugs or alcohol and you’re not sure how to pray…

…pray that God would make known to them the power that He has given them to say “no” to their addiction.

That they might know and experience His power to break the bondage of their addiction and live in victory!

Pray that they would know how to employ His power to resist temptation and to change even their desires so that they no longer want to sin.

Close

√ Paul’s prayer

He prayed that his friends in Ephesus might know…

God intimately

God’s calling in their lives

God’s inheritance in us

God’s power in our lives

So that they might live a victorious life in the power of Jesus.

Ap. Energy crisis

The greatest power shortage in America today isn’t a lack of gasoline…

…it’s a lack of power in our personal lives.

Will Paul’s prayer be answered in your life?

Will you, starting today begin to know by experience God’s intimate love, God’s calling, God’s inheritance and His power?