Sermons

Summary: What does Paul pray for in Ephesians 1?

25 November 2015

UNSTOPPABLE PRAYERS

Key Scripture: Eph 1:15-23

15. Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,

16. do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

17. that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,

18. the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of the inheritance in the saints,

19. and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe according to the working of His mighty power

20. which 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 principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

22. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,

23. which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

We cannot underestimate the power that moves God’s heart. Scripture teaches us that when the saints prayed, it moved Him to action or caused Him to cease being angry by all the effectual fervent prayers of the righteous people.

1. Promised answers

1.1 Jesus promised that He would answer the prayer of those who cry out “day and night” He would send justice and do it speedily. This is a promise that He would do what He said He would do.

2. Perfect prayers (Apostolic prayers)

Apostolic prayers are prayers that were written by the apostles under the unction and direction of the Holy Spirit. They are not only Biblical but are the very language of the Holy Spirit as He inspired them. We speak back to the Lored the promises and prayers He gave to us.

3. The need for the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. (Eph 1:17)

3.1 Paul prays for the Church that God gives us the spirit of wisdom and revelation so we can understand three important things of the Kingdom of God: calling, inheritance and power

3.2 The Greek word for revelation is apokalypsis which means to make known

3.3 God’s Spirit reveals to us through revelation the trutrhs set out in the verses that follow and He unveils to us the calling, inheritance and power and we will never understand what God wants to do in the earth without the Holy Spirit.

3.4 We don’t only need revelation but also wisdom. It means we understand what He wants to do when it pertains to His Kingdom.

3.5 This spirit leads to knowing God. It literally opens our eyes to see who He is and what He is like.

4. His calling, his inheritance and His power. (Eph 1:18)

4.1 The hope of His calling

We have a calling to demonstrate the hope of the Kingdom to the world, which is why every person has a unique gift. (Rom 15:13)

4.2 His inheritance

We as the church are the inheritance of Jesus Christ. Our eyes must be opened so that we can walk into the fullness of our destiny. (2 Cor 4:7, Col 1:27)

4.3 His power

There is no limit to God’s power and it is the same power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him in heavenly places. (Eph 1:20, Eph 3:20-21)

The practical effects of this prayer will be unmatchable. If we understand the hope that comes with His calling on our lives, the inheritance that is in the saints and the greatness of His power, we will see a tremendous impact in our community. This prayer encompasses the church to walk in its fullness because we know who we are and what we are being commissioned to do.

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