Prayer for All Members Based on Pastor Jared’s Message, March 13, 2022

Ephesians 1:15-23

That You May Know

Introduction: Paul has just explained in the previous verses that God has given us a wealth of spiritual blessings, so Paul now prays that these blessings will result in the Ephesians knowing God more deeply. In his prayer, the apostle Paul shows us how we too can pray for one another and ourselves:

1. When you pray, thank God. (15-16)

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…

Paul thanks God unceasingly for the Ephesians, because their faith and love are God-given. He also gives them public praise for having these marks of belonging to Jesus.

“Father, we thank You for one another, and for the faith and love You have given us.”

1. When you pray, ask God. (17-19)

…that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ… may give you the 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…  

Paul asks God to open the eyes of their understanding:

• To know Him better
• To know their salvation better, including three blessings:
• What is our hope. This is our shared hope of a future when all things are made right in Christ.
• What are the riches of His glorious inheritance. We are His inheritance. Why are we of value? Because Christ has given us value. He paid a great price to redeem and adopt us.
• What is the immeasurable greatness of His power. We are engaged in a spiritual battle, but God gives us overcoming power. The enemy can never steal our salvation.

“Father, we ask You to help us understand Your Word, to know You better and know Your salvation better: to know our hope, and the value we have to You, and the great power You have given us.”

1. When you pray, praise God (20-23)

…[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… 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.

Paul mentions three things about Christ we can praise God for:

• Christ as the resurrected Savior. Only Jesus has given us the constant confidence of the resurrection.
• Christ as the reigning Savior. He is above all powers, so we can trust Him with all our problems.
• Christ as the head of His church. He fills us full of His grace and His gifts and His fullness.

“Father, we praise You for Your Son Jesus Christ, our resurrected and reigning Savior, who as head of His church fills us completely full.”