Read: Ephesians
1
Paul wrote his letter to the Ephesians to encourage
them and to strengthen their faith. Paul begins the letter by giving a lengthy
list of the blessings God gives us through Christ. God has not merely given us
some blessings, or many blessings, He has given us every spiritual blessing. In the North American Church, we often
have a distorted view of what “blessing” is. We think that God should display
His love by giving us worldly comfort, removing any troubles from our path, and
giving us financial success. This denies God’s ability to bless us and grow us
through difficulty. Surely the blessings listed here are the truest blessings
on which we should focus. God is a generous, loving Father. He lavishes these
blessings on us that we might be empowered to love Him and fulfill His mission
on earth. Trusting in God’s promises is
vital to our Christian walk. If we cannot trust His promises, we cannot trust
His character. If we cannot trust God’s character, certainly we will not live
in full submission to Him. Thus, attacking our belief in God’s promises is a
tactic commonly used by the enemy.
The second section of Chapter 1 consists of a
prayer. Paul provides a wonderful model for us here. Instead of merely telling
the Ephesians he is praying for them, he actually prays for them! Prayer minister
to hearts in an extremely powerful way. Imagine the fruit that would grow if,
instead of constantly seeking human advice, we asked our brothers and sisters
to pray with us. There are five key points in Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians. First, he genuinely thanks God for them (v
16). Second, he prays that God would give them wisdom (v 17). Third, he prays
that God would reveal Himself to the Ephesians, that they would know Him better
(v 17). Fourth, he prays that the Ephesians would understand the hope found in
following God’s calling (v 18). Finally, Paul prays that God would reveal “the
surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe” (v 18). Having these
revelations planted firmly in our hearts will help us navigate any situation
that comes our way in a manner that is pleasing to God.
Prayer and
Journaling
1. A large portion of this chapter is dedicated to
describing some of the spiritual blessings God gives us through Christ (v
3-14). Re-read this passage and make a list of as many spiritual blessings as
you can see here. Meditate on each of these blessings and thank God for them.
2. Are any of the promised blessings in this
passage hard for you to believe? For example, many people struggle to believe
that God truly loves them or that He wants them to be holy and blameless (v 4).
Ask God to show you why you have a difficult time believing this specific
promise. When He shows you something, pray that He would heal this area of your
heart and ask Him to speak truth to you. If believing God in this area is a big
struggle, consider signing up for Personal Ministry at the church.
3. There are many powerful prayers found in the
Bible. Praying the words of Scripture is a beautiful tool we are given in
intercession. When we simply do not know what to pray, we can open up the Bible
and begin to pray God’s words. One such
prayer is in Ephesians 1:15-19. Spend some time praying these things for your
family today. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you insight into how you can pray
each verse over your family’s unique situations.
