I pray that the eyes of your heart
may be enlightened ...
Ephesians 1:18
may be enlightened ...
Ephesians 1:18
As we come to the end of our time with Nehemiah, we have the opportunity to once again hear from our old friend Paul. Thank God for the days Paul spent in prison! Really! I really do mean it with my whole heart!!! Thank God for the days Paul spent in prison. Paul was a busy man. When he was on his missionary journeys, he hardly ever had a moment to himself. If he wasn't out somewhere in the cities debating the truths of God's Word with the Jewish leaders, you could find him in the city squares confronting the pagans concerning their false gods. And when he was away from the unbelieving population, he was meeting with the church to strengthen them in their faith. About the only place Paul really found time to write was when he was in prison. Have you ever considered that that might be one of the main reasons God confined Paul to prison so often? Sure Paul could have, and often did, say many of the same things to them in person. But without his prison stays, there would be very few written letters for us to glean from today.
While Paul was being held prisoner in Rome, he was compelled to write to the believers in Ephesus. This letter makes its way into the text of many messages. Often have a tendency to focus on chapter four which teaches us about the five equipping gifts God has given to the church. Or we spend time on chapters five and six that deal with family relationship. But as we absorb the many facets of teaching Paul addresses in this power packed letter, we also get a glimpse into Paul's everyday life in prison. It's actually scattered throughout the letter. Let me highlight some of the bullet points.
Ephesians 1:18-19 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.
Ephesians 3:14 For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may b filled up to all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 6:18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,
Ephesians 6:19-20 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
From the very beginning of Paul's letter to the Ephesians, to the very end, there is one theme that continues to enfold all others: Pray! Pray!! Pray!!! Obviously, Paul spent much of his day, and probably many of his nights, passing his time in the presence of God, praying for the saints and the spread of the gospel.
Paul not only tells the Ephesians what issues to pray about, he gives them insight into his personal prayers. I would encourage you to slow up when you come to these special messages and make a list of what prayers and petitions were closest to his heart. If we want to see the world we live in change, and to see the gospel have an effect on the people with whom we come into contact, we would do well to learn how to pray. Paul's words in this powerful letter can give us some guidelines to a more affective prayer life. If we truly believe that this Bible is the inspired word of God, then let's embrace its message with excitement.
Once we have gleaned its message, hopefully we will take (MAKE) more time to do it, rather than just study it. I have a tendency to send up those quick prayers throughout the day, but Paul was a man who knew how to get absorbed in prayer. I know this has been a pleasant reminder to me that prayer is not a fast-food counter where we rush up and give our quick orders, expecting it to be filled quickly. There is a vast difference between sitting in a McDonald's drive-thru, and sitting at a king's banquet table. I trust we will take the message of prayer from this letter and let it revitalize us. I know I, for one, am hearing God's gentle rebuke. I have a feeling I'm not alone!
While Paul was being held prisoner in Rome, he was compelled to write to the believers in Ephesus. This letter makes its way into the text of many messages. Often have a tendency to focus on chapter four which teaches us about the five equipping gifts God has given to the church. Or we spend time on chapters five and six that deal with family relationship. But as we absorb the many facets of teaching Paul addresses in this power packed letter, we also get a glimpse into Paul's everyday life in prison. It's actually scattered throughout the letter. Let me highlight some of the bullet points.
Ephesians 1:18-19 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.
Ephesians 3:14 For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may b filled up to all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 6:18 With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,
Ephesians 6:19-20 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
From the very beginning of Paul's letter to the Ephesians, to the very end, there is one theme that continues to enfold all others: Pray! Pray!! Pray!!! Obviously, Paul spent much of his day, and probably many of his nights, passing his time in the presence of God, praying for the saints and the spread of the gospel.
Paul not only tells the Ephesians what issues to pray about, he gives them insight into his personal prayers. I would encourage you to slow up when you come to these special messages and make a list of what prayers and petitions were closest to his heart. If we want to see the world we live in change, and to see the gospel have an effect on the people with whom we come into contact, we would do well to learn how to pray. Paul's words in this powerful letter can give us some guidelines to a more affective prayer life. If we truly believe that this Bible is the inspired word of God, then let's embrace its message with excitement.
Once we have gleaned its message, hopefully we will take (MAKE) more time to do it, rather than just study it. I have a tendency to send up those quick prayers throughout the day, but Paul was a man who knew how to get absorbed in prayer. I know this has been a pleasant reminder to me that prayer is not a fast-food counter where we rush up and give our quick orders, expecting it to be filled quickly. There is a vast difference between sitting in a McDonald's drive-thru, and sitting at a king's banquet table. I trust we will take the message of prayer from this letter and let it revitalize us. I know I, for one, am hearing God's gentle rebuke. I have a feeling I'm not alone!
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