Unpacking Eph. 1:15-23 - Paul’s Pattern of Prayer

-             Hope

-             Inheritance

-             Power

Meeting Purpose

To study Paul's prayer in Ephesians 1:15-23 and its implications for our own prayer lives.

Key Takeaways

-             Prayer Mindset: Address God as "Abba, Father" to foster intimacy and trust, contrasting with a distant or demanding view.

-             Paul's Prayer Focus: Paul prayed for the Ephesians' spiritual growth—wisdom, revelation, and enlightenment—not for physical needs or prosperity.

-             Three Core Requests: The prayer asks for enlightenment to grasp three future certainties: the hope of our calling, the riches of our inheritance (being God's people), and the immeasurable power available to us.

-             The Power Source: This power is the same "great might" that raised Christ from the dead and seated him above all authority, making it the ultimate guarantee of our future glory.

Topics

-             Prayer Mindset: Abba, Father

o  Core Principle: Addressing God as "Abba, Father" (Mark 14:36) acknowledges an intimate, personal family relationship, enabling trust and safety.

o  Contrast: This contrasts with a distant, demanding, or dreadful view of God.

o  Impact: Acknowledging this relationship helps us embrace God's will, even when difficult, as Christ did in Gethsemane.

o  Challenge: Our view of God as Father can be hindered by negative experiences with earthly fathers. We are called to be loving examples to help others re-symbolize this role.

-             Prayer Attitude: Deference Over Demands

o  Problem: We often treat God as a "vending machine," focusing on petitions for our own desires.

o  Solution: Cultivate an attitude of deference, defined as:

§ Respect and honor

§ Reverence for God

§ A sense of accountability

o  Rationale: This attitude, modeled by Christ, frees us from fear and aligns our prayers with God's will.

-             Paul's Prayer for the Ephesians (Ephesians 1:15-23)

o  Context: Paul prayed because he heard of the Ephesians' faith and love, not in response to a crisis.

o  Focus: The prayer is entirely spiritual, requesting wisdom, revelation, and enlightenment, not physical blessings.

o  Mechanism: The "spirit of wisdom and of revelation" likely refers to an attitude or disposition, not the Holy Spirit (which believers already possess).

o  Goal: For believers to grasp three future certainties:

1.       Hope of His Calling: A future expectation of salvation, resurrection, and eternal life (1 Thes 5:8, 1 Cor 15:52, Titus 3:4-7).

2.       Riches of His Inheritance: The astonishing value God places on us as His people, not just what we receive from Him.

3.       Immeasurable Greatness of His Power: The same power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him above all authority.

Next Steps

-             Pray Ephesians 1:17-23 for yourself and others, focusing on spiritual growth.

-             When prompted to pray for someone, ask God to validate the prompting and then act on it.