Title: Paul's Prayer
Contents .
Title: Paul's Prayer
Text/ Ephesians 1:15-23
The cooperation of the shepherd and the saints / The cooperation of Moses, Aaron, and Hur Joshua (Exodus 17:8-16)
God loves us and has already given us great blessings.
Before the foundation of the world, he was chosen to become a child of God (Ephesians 1:4). I did not know and lived as I wanted, but by grace he restored the image of a child (Galatians 4:1-7).
Whenever Paul prayed, he never forgot to thank the Ephesians for their faith and love.
1, Pray that you will know God fully. verse 17
“I will give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, that you may know God”
1) Wisdom/ Sophhia ▶ wise, wise, skillful, skillful
(Ephesians 5:15) “Therefore, be careful how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise.”
2) Revelation/ Apocalypse ▶ Uncover, illuminate, reveal, illuminate
(Ephesians 3:3) “The mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have already written in outline.”
3) Spirit/ Pneuma▶ Holy Spirit, Spirit
(1 Corinthians 2:10) “The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.”
(Hosea 4:6) “My people perish for lack of knowledge.”
2, Pray to open the eyes of your heart so that you may know the great God. Verses 18-19
It is a beautiful expression that describes our heart as if we have eyes that look to God.
(Matthew 5:8) “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”
It is to open the “eyes of faith” to those who are pure in heart so that they can see the Spirit of God. Repentance purifies the heart, and when the heart is pure, the “spiritual eyes” are opened.
(Rev 3:20) "Behold, I knock at the door; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I
I will go in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”
1) Those who have the Holy Spirit in their hearts
(2 Corinthians 1:22) “He also sealed us and gave the Holy Spirit into our hearts as a surety”
2) Those who have Satan in their hearts
(Acts 5:3) “Peter said to him, Ananias, why is Satan filling your heart, deceiving the Holy Spirit?”
We need to open our hearts and eyes to know what our hope is and the greatness of the power He has given us.
3, If you want to know the God who worked in Christ, you must pray. Verses 20-23
Who is God?
1) God is the One who raises the dead. ▶20 “He raised him from the dead”
2) God is in control of everything. ▶ Verse 21 “All principalities and powers, present and future,
state jurisdiction
3) God has the power to bring all things into subjection. ▶ Verse 22 “Submit”
Whipetaxen/ All things depend on him.
Everything that we see with our eyes is subject to him.
“When Jesus rebuked the wind and the sea, there was a great calm” (Matthew 8:26).