SEE WHAT WE HAVE
Opening Prayer
Spirit of God, I pray for opened eyes, that I may see the Gospel truths in these verses (18).
Read Ephesians 1:15–23
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
Thanksgiving and Prayer
15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit[a] of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 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, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 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. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
Footnotes
a. Ephesians 1:17 Or a spirit
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
How much have you grown in your knowledge of and personal relationship with Jesus since you started following Him?There have been times when I’ve been asked to get the butter from the fridge only to find myself staring uselessly at its shelves for ages! Sometimes we fail to see what’s right in front of our noses. The same happens with Gospel realities. Today, Paul’s words overflow with gratitude to God for the Ephesians’ walk with Christ (15). This quickly flows into prayer for them.
Verses 15–19. There is no ‘graduation’ in the Christian life. We are all disciples – lifelong learners. So what lies at the heart of Paul’s prayers? The key comes at the end of verse 17: knowing our Father better. Paul calls the Holy Spirit the ‘Spirit of wisdom and revelation,’ not because we constantly need new things, but because we need to know God better. That means both His character and His purposes. Only then will we be able to rest confidently. In the future, we look forward to a glorious inheritance (18,19). In the present, His cosmos- creating power is actually at work for us now!
Verses 20–23. See what this same power did for Jesus (20): it raised Him to life and lifted Him up to heaven. So everything in the world is under His authority. That same power will get us there too (look back at verse 18).
Apply
Did last week bring stresses or challenges? What difference would having these Gospel truths at the forefront of your mind have made? Make notes or copies of these truths to carry with you today.
Closing prayer
Holy Spirit, I want to know God better, not just in my mind but through experiencing Him at work in my life. Have Your way.
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