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Takeaways
“Thoughts and prayers.”
“Praying!”
“Will you pray that … ?”
We see these phrases often as people go through challenges and the people in their lives want to show support. We typically ask for specific outcomes like healing, monetary blessings, or relational peace when praying.
But Paul prayed for much more profound things, as in this passage.
The Ephesians were characterized by faith in Jesus and love for one another, something the Spirit of God was working out in their community. In cooperation with that, Paul understood that they still needed to see things in a way they were not yet seeing.. So he prayed that God would:
Give them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.
Paul’s prayer emphasizes a KNOWING of God, not just knowing ABOUT God. He asked further that they would experience:
- The HOPE to which He had called them.
When we see things with the right eyes, we have hope. Our world does not offer true hope. We may be feeling hopeless when we only see what is happening in front of us. But when we see with spiritual eyes that God is working out His plan in the world and there is so much we don’t know, we can embrace hope that He will see it through.
- The RICHES of His glorious grace.
As part of the family of God, our inheritance is sealed by the Holy Spirit, a form of down payment toward the wonderful spiritual blessings to come!
- The immeasurable greatness of His POWER toward us.
The Spirit is working in our situation and our world. God’s power is available to us. He is “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion,” so we can rest in the fact that God is Ruler over all, including our circumstances and those of the world.
What would it be like to pray THIS type of prayer for others?
Heavenly Father,
I come before You today with gratitude for the life and faith of my friend. I thank You for the way they love You and love others. Lord, I pray that You would continue to pour out Your Spirit upon them — the Spirit of wisdom and revelation — so they may know You more deeply and intimately.
Open the eyes of their heart, God. Enlighten them to see beyond what is visible so that they may grasp the hope to which You have called them. When circumstances are uncertain, remind them of the unwavering hope in You alone.
Help them to understand the riches of their glorious inheritance as part of Your family. May they live with the confidence that they are loved, chosen, and secured by Your promises.
And Lord, let them experience the immeasurable greatness of Your power at work in their life. The same power that raised Christ from the dead is alive in them today. Strengthen them to trust in Your authority, knowing You reign far above all rulers, powers, and dominions.
Fill their life with the fullness of Christ, and let Your presence overflow in all they do. May they walk boldly in Your truth, knowing that all things are under Your sovereign feet. Amen.
There’s nothing wrong with asking God for specific outcomes, especially if He leads you to pray that way. But practice praying more deeply for your people – focusing on the hope, riches of grace and power available to them for the praise of His glory – and see what God will do!
Reflection Prompters / Suggested Homework
Read through the book of Ephesians this week and mark it on your bookmark.* We are encouraging you to read through the book 10 times during the 13-week series. You may also wish to review the additional texts used this week. We also suggest you read Act 19 for more context about what was happening in Ephesus then.
How does Paul’s focus on knowing God deeply, rather than just knowing about Him, challenge or inspire the way you approach your prayers?
In what areas of your life do you need to see with “spiritual eyes” to embrace the hope that God offers?
What does it mean to you personally to inherit “the riches of His glorious grace,” and how might that change your daily perspective?
How have you experienced or witnessed the “immeasurable greatness of His power” in your life or the lives of others?
How might your prayers for others change if you focused more on their spiritual growth and understanding than just their immediate circumstances?
