Potential conviction coming.
How often do you pray for believers? The ones you know or the ones you do not know? Honestly, this is an area I need to get better at, especially praying for those who are persecuted around the world. Praying for people I have not met yet, but one day through Jesus Christ I can.
Ephesians 1:15-21 says:
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, 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, 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, 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 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.
Focal Scripture – Ephesians 1:16 – I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers…
I shared all of Ephesians 1:15-21 because I wanted to make sure you got the full sentence, which I know is a lot. But everything Paul shares goes together.
Our scripture for today, Ephesians 1:16 focuses on praying for believers. What then follows in the sentence gives us some specifics we can pray when we pray for believers.
Today’s scripture follows some similar things we covered last week in Colossians. See: Praying that Others Increase in the Knowledge of God Repetition in scripture helps us see where our gaze should be and what we should be consistent on.
Also note the importance of reminding ourselves of the Gospel. Just like prayer and Bible reading, we should be reminding ourselves of the Gospel every day. We should never think we know the Gospel “enough.”
We should never get defensive when people talk about the Gospel and act like, “I already know that.” If this is our approach to when the Gospel gets brought up, then we are more immature than we realize, and I say this as one who thought she was so mature for years, but knew little.
IF you treat the Gospel little, like a surface topic, you will only understand scripture a little.
Life Application for Ephesians 1:15-21
We are to not cease in giving thanks, and this includes giving thanks for the body of believers.
Remember believers in prayer.
- It is important we pray for all believers. The ones we know personally. The one around the world. Those who are persecuted. And we can pray for those who have yet to come to faith but will.
Wisdom and knowledge of God does not come from ourselves, we must receive them from the Lord.
- This is why Bible studying and reading consistently is important, why fellowship with believers is important to hear the word of God and encourage one another in the word of God.
God changes our hearts and gives (enlightens) us with His knowledge.
Through God, He reveals the hope we are called to (which is Christ.) See: Christ: The Hope of Glory, See also: 5 Scriptures To Meditate On This Month | Jesus is God
Our hope is part of our inheritance and the age to come. To learn more see: Christ: The Hope of Glory
Be reminded of the Gospel daily. Be reminded of Who God is.
Interestingly, this passage reminds us the Trinity. All 3 Persons of the Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are listed. We need to know Who the Lord is. The Gospel shows us the love and power of God. His attributes, His mercy, kindness, grace, and much more. Never forget. Never look down on the Gospel. If you find yourself doing just that, pray and ask for help. (See: Why Did A Loving God Kill His Son? (Does God Hate?))
*Scripture from the ESV translation
The Gospel Message– The Gospel message is good news, which means there’s bad news. We all are sinners and condemned. We all deserve the just punishment of God’s wrath. Christianity is unlike any other religion because we cannot earn our way into Heaven. God saw the weakness of man and his utter depravity. Yet, He showed us grace. Jesus, God, One Person of the Trinity, became God in the flesh, the God-Man. He was always perfect and sinless. And His humanity was perfected on the cross, living the full sinless life. He became our atonement sacrifice. Dying in our place, taking on the wrath of God upon Himself. He died on the cross, and He was resurrected because death could not hold Him. Jesus is the answer. We, as guilty sinners, need His blood to pay off our debt of sin. For all who put their faith in Him – meaning eyes are opened to the Gospel, we see ourselves as a sinner, we see the need for Christ, we desire our Savior, and we see the ugliness of our sin. Putting our faith in Jesus, we seek HIs forgiveness and repent from our sins, we turn away from our old way of life. We, through the work of the Holy Spirit, continue to become convicted of sin daily. Our eyes will never be the same again. We see things in a different light, and the truth of Christ affects how we live and serve Him. Christ tells us to count the cost. Salvation is a serious topic, it is not to be taken lightly. For a breakdown of this powerful message, understanding how Christ could be God and Man, why God required sacrifices, and more -please see: Why Did A Loving God Kill His Son? (Does God Hate?)
If you think you know the Gospel, check out these questions and see how prepared you are for the day someone might ask you why you believe: The Gospel Challenge (30 Question Quiz) – Are You Ready To Defend Your Faith?
Scripture To Meditate On –(ESV) John 15:06 – If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
Community Prayer –
Christian Topics/Series Covered
Personal Blog: Peeking Beneath
Second Blog: UnAshamed Christian Housewife
Godly Men & Women I Recommend: Link To List
Resources For False Teaching: Recommended Websites For False Teachers/Teaching
Video Playlist: Christian Questions, Topics, False Teachers, Insights
Video Playlist: New Christian Believer
Video Playlist: Understanding False Teachings
Video Playlist: Sermons To Grow From
Social: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook
COMMENT RULES– Rules For Comments (Why Some May Not Appear)
Inside Cup 