April 30, 2014
PAUL PRAYS THAT WE KNOW GOD AND THE AWESOMENESS HE HAS FOR THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN JESUS!
Ephesians 1:15-23
Kristen Heard
Central Truth
Believers are called upon to fully embrace and understand the magnificence of God's power and the hope that He has imparted to us as His people.
Key Verse | Ephesians 1:16, 18–19
I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, . . . 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. (Ephesians 1:16, 18-19a)
Ephesians 1:15-23
Thanksgiving and Prayer
15 For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love 1 1:15 Some manuscripts omit your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 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 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.
Dive Deeper | Ephesians 1:15-23
When reading this passage, I am at first in awe to be reminded once again of all that God has given to us, His "holy people."
I'm also struck that Paul prays for "the heart" to be enlightened. I once heard that head knowledge and heart knowledge are two very different things. The distance that this knowledge has to travel from our heads to our hearts can be a very long one and, sadly I think, sometimes never fully reaches its final destination. We can know something intellectually, but fully understanding it, embracing it, and living it in our hearts, is quite a different matter. Why is that?
I think to fully "get" the gloriousness that God intends for His children to enjoy is such a huge undertaking, so vast, that we honestly cannot wrap our brains OR our hearts around it. To do so, we must seek to know Him more and more, daily, and ask Him to reveal it to us through the working of His Spirit. Our hearts need His divine intervention in order to "see" the POWER, the RICHES, the HOPE we have in Christ, who is "far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come." (Ephesians 1:21, NIV)
I love Paul's prayer here, and it is a good reminder to me of how to pray more specifically for my spiritual needs and for others. Too often, my prayers are centered more around "help me with the concerns/worries/stresses/afflictions of life" and not so much "help me know You, really know You, so that I can live and walk in the power and hope You have for me."
Discussion Questions
1. Do you spend time with God daily, in His Word and in prayer, in order to know Him intimately so that He can reveal Himself more and more to you?
2. Do you regularly ask God to help meet your spiritual needs and not just your physical ones?
3. Paul prays for three things in which our hearts need enlightening. What are these three things and what impact do these promises have on your relationship with Christ?
4. How can you pray differently in order to grasp, in your heart and in your mind, all that God has for you as His chosen one?