This past Sunday, Pastor Earl began a six week study on the book of Ephesians. He suggested that members of the congregation go ahead and read through Ephesians so that they are prepared for the next six weeks. Today, we’ll start a 14 day journey going through the book of Ephesians, to better prepare ourselves for what Pastor Earl will be sharing in the next six weeks.

This study comes from the YouVersion Bible App…and can be downloaded to your phone. https://www.bible.com/

Sometimes all we can do as God’s people is pray; it expresses who we are (dependent upon him) and it displays who he is! Paul can do little else in jail. But, more than this, his prayer focuses on the Ephesians knowing the one who has given them a new identity, that is the ‘title’ of the prayer in verse 17. And only God can reveal God. 

This knowledge has three parts: the hope of God’s calling (vs.18), the identity of God’s people (vs.18), and how significant God’s power is (vs.19). If there is any doubt about whether we can know this God, just look at what he has done in history through Jesus (vs.20-23). 

Now, prayers can often seem a little distant from the substance of everyday life. How might this prayer affect the way you consider yourself, as you drive home from work, see the family, eat dinner, and wake up?

Question:

How might you use the content of this prayer to pray for three people you know this week?

Prayer:

Dear Father, thank you that you reveal yourself by your Spirit, in your Son and in your Word. Help me to know you more deeply, know my identity more completely, and appreciate your power more fully. Amen.

Ephesians 1:15-23

¹⁵ For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love^[a] 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.