# 12. 2018 Dev. Eph.1:17. Prayer! Read verses 15-23. The purpose of these devotionals is to draw closer to God and grow spiritually by applying His Word to our daily living. All passages are taken from the NIV.
Ephesians 1:17 “ I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit[f] of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better”.
There are prayers and excerpts of prayers in all of Paul’s books in the New Testament (look up: “A Complete list of the Apostle Paul’s Prayers in the Bible”) but this prayer is one of four significant prayers for the people he is writing to. (Eph. 1:17-19a, 3:16-19. Php. 1:9-11. Col.1:9b-12).
This prayer is a prayer every pastor, evangelist, church planter and church leader should be praying for the people of God. Further, this is a prayer every Christian should be praying for each other and a prayer from leaders and Christians alike for those who have not yet responded to Christ’s love! It is not a onetime prayer, I keep on praying, Paul writes. By the power of the Holy Spirit we respond to Christ, in the Spirit’s power we pray and when overwhelmed He prays for us (Ro.8:26-27).
What is Paul Praying for? “The Spirit of wisdom and revelation”, that the “eyes of our hearts” may see: “the hope to which we are called”, and share in “the riches of his glorious inheritance and his incomparable great power for us who believe”. This is what Christ intends for us living the Christian life, to know Him better. How easy it is to be overwhelmed with the problems of everyday living in this broken world. How easy it is to be encouraged by this prayer, pray it for others but not live it for ourselves. It takes two things to live out this prayer; Believe that this is God’s will for us, have FAITH! And living out our faith intentionally, knowing that God is in control of our lives as we look to him and serve Him. Thank you Lord Jesus for this “glorious inheritance” and for the power to live for you! Amen!
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