Let us Pray

What’s your reputation like? How do people in the community think about your church? 

Are Christians respected, appreciated, even admired? Or they dismissed as inconsequential do-gooders?

Paul wrote to the Ephesian Christians to remind each of them how God has blessed them. Having reminded them in this way he kept remembering them.  He prayed for them as individuals. But Christians are not only individuals, they are part of  family, a group, what we might call a gathering, a church.

As blessed as they were Paul prayed for more for them.

For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers (Ephesians 1:15,16)

There is so much more to going to church.  Going is good but not enough.

These Christian believers so much loved God, loved Jesus, that this naturally flowed over into their love for God’s people, for their fellow believers, for their brothers and sisters in Christ, for the saints.

The wonderful thing was that Paul had heard about their mutual love in times before mass communication.

This makes me think of churches I know.  Have I  heard about their faith in the Lord Jesus and their love for all their fellow believers? When I think about this it’s disappointing. Seeing people declare this faith, sometimes you see it lived out. Some people’s personal relationship with Jesus is real and powerful. Some churches have warm, welcoming and embracing environments. Did the Ephesian church get it all together?

Billy Graham told his audience, ‘if you find a perfect church, don’t join it; you’ll spoil it.”

So what about this church goer? Do people hear about my faith in the Lord Jesus and of my love for all God’s people? Or do I keep quiet about it? Do I pray for my brothers and sisters in Jesus and do I stand by to show them acts of love when they need it? Do they pray for me?

Paul certainly did. He didn’t stop praying for the Ephesian Christians. What he knew of them led him to give thanks for them, remembering them when he prayed for them.  And when he prayed he had some specifics to ask for.

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. (Ephesians 1:17)

Let’s face it! We have been told how blessed we are but we have trouble understanding just what these blessings are.  We really do need God’s Spirit of wisdom and revelation, and we do want to know him better.

Who prays this prayer for me? I would love them to because I really want such a prayer answered in my life. When was the last time I asked for such prayer - or even hinted I would like it? Human pride and self reliance comes with the cost of not being prayed for like this. 

When was the last time I prayed like this for someone else? And then followed Paul’s example and keep asking?

How is it possible to know God? Only when he sends his Holy Spirit into our life as the Spirit of wisdom and revelation.  No one can understand God unless he reveals himself to them.  His Spirit is the one who grants us wisdom, uncovering mysteries to our minds and lives.

As this happens to us we find ourselves knowing him, Jesus, and then knowing him better! Know not merely know who the historical, theological, theoretical Jesus is but we know Jesus the risen, living Lord, knowing him personally, knowing his Spirit in and with you moment by moment in real depth.

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people. (Ephesians 1:18)

How personal can you get? No more so than the Spirit of Jesus living in and with you communicating with your spirit.  He fully understands you and only he can share with you the mind of Christ, enlightening you.

As a child of God you can rightly expect your inheritance which is found in the riches God has set apart for his holy people, the people God himself has sealed, marked, adopted, loves.

It is the Spirit of Jesus who assures you of the security of your eternal life, guarantees it for you, gives you that sure and certain hope, that expectation of eternal life with him and the peace of mind that comes with it.

and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead (Ephesians 1:19-20)

With the assurance of your part in the kingdom of God brought to you by the Spirit of Jesus himself comes a capacity to live it out.  The same mighty strength the Holy Spirit used to raise Christ from the dead gives a new powerful life to you.

Of all the blessings Jesus has given you this one resounds and causes us to examine ourselves more closely to see this strength in our own life and experience. 

Surely we understand that this power is not ours.  It does not come from us, we do not possess it nor command it.  This is God’s almighty, resurrecting power and God works it in and through us as and when he wishes.

Do you realise it just a little when you find yourself having faith in Jesus, believing in him, knowing him, worshipping him, loving him, praying with him, exulting in him and his greatness, carried in the peace, the joy he gives you.

A Christian’s power—his ability to do anything of worth—is received from the Holy Spirit.

A Christian’s power from God strengthens the inner being: “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being” (Ephesians 3:16).

A Christian’s power from God enables him or her to become a servant of the gospel: “I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power” (Ephesians 3:7).

A Christian’s power is perfected in weakness: “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

A Christian finds power in prayer: “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16).

Give thanks and praise to him when he uses you!

Look how that same power has glorified Christ and worship him!

he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 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. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.(Ephesians 1:20-23)

So many people in the world miss out on the blessings God has given you.  They do not know the greatness of our God and Father, the absolute authority of Jesus Christ and the power of his Holy Spirit in our lives. How dare people dismiss and ignore Jesus! Don’t they  know who he is?

It is the church’s calling to let them know! The lost, rebellious people of the world should be saying, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers (Ephesians 1:15,16)

Pray for Christians everywhere, pray for your church, pray for yourself. Pray with the prayer Paul prayed for the Ephesian church. (Ephesians 1:15-23)