Read: Ephesians 1:15-23
Ephesians is unique among all the letters in the NT because the apostle Paul wrote it as a general letter to be read and circulated among many churches in one region. He wrote it as a summary of the Christian faith and life, so we should not be surprised to find it saturated with prayer. Prayer can feel intimidating for Christians at any season in their faith. That is why Paul invites us into prayer as he writes about the most precious truths of our faith. Would you listen if someone told you they had something powerful to help your Christian life grow in any season? In our passage, Paul reveals to us that it is prayer.
1. Why We Pray
Paul's unwavering commitment to prayer comes from his understanding that God is constantly at work in the world and our lives. The “I never stop giving thanks” in v. 16 points back to God's loving plan of redemption in v. 3-14. We don’t pray because God isn’t at work but because He is already at work in the world and our lives. We often pray as if He is absent or inactive and needs to intervene. Instead, our prayers should be anchored in gratitude, recognizing and appreciating how God's grace is already manifest in our lives. This posture of gratitude connects our prayers to the praise of God's glorious grace lavished upon us in Christ.
Just as it is unhealthy for any relationship to focus exclusively on what the other person is not doing, it is even more detrimental to our relationship with God. We pray to recognize how God is at work, which guards us against cynicism and disillusionment. We can truly develop eyes to see and discern God's grace at work, even amid many imperfections and struggles in our lives. We find such an example in Barnabas, who rejoiced in seeing God's hand upon the early church in Antioch despite their shortcomings (Acts 11:21-24).
2. What We Pray
Paul's approach to prayer stands in stark contrast to the customary well-wishes and prayers for health that were prevalent in ancient letter writing. Rather than focusing on external circumstances, Paul directs his prayers to the very core of our being – our hearts. His central prayer is that, by the work of the Spirit, the “eyes of our hearts” would be enlightened to see that “what is” is what is. “What is” the hope of his calling, the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us are not contingent upon the fervor of our prayer or our moral performance. These truths are unshakeable realities for all who have placed their faith in Christ. What if the secret to Christian prayer is not in something you don’t yet have but in knowing what you already have?
If Paul’s prayer is for the eyes of their hearts to be enlightened, then one way to describe our greatest spiritual problem is when our hearts are darkened and our vision is cloudy. Powerful prayer is prayer that clears the fog to help us see what is real and true. It is only because of the Gospel that we have real hope, value, and power. Here is where the fog can become the thickest. It is a “hope of his calling” (v. 18) and not merely our own. Our value is not found in working for our own inheritance but in being God’s inheritance in Christ. Power does not come from us but from Christ’s resurrection (v. 20-23). His resurrection power alone brings life to what is dead in us and light to what is dark in us. Through prayer, we can see our true hope, value, and power in Christ through any fog and thus face anything in this life.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What about the sermon most impacted you or left you with questions?
Read Ephesians 6:18 as a group. Do you find this encouraging or intimidating? What makes it difficult to pray like this? Share something that distracts you from prayer and how you have faced it over time.
When you do pray, what do you pray for most? Why do you gravitate toward that? How might your prayers be more “what is” prayers rather than prayers for “what isn’t?” Where is God at work in your life right now?
Where have you found pockets of doubt, cynicism, or disillusionment in your prayer life? Is it toward God, others, or both? How can the “why” in v. 3-14 contribute to gratitude in your prayer life as it does for Paul? Is there a promise that stands out most that keeps you oriented?
Is there a moment in your life where you realized God had truly provided you with precisely what you needed or more? What about a friend or family member? Did you pray more or less during that time? What does this have to do with praying for God to enlighten the “eyes of your heart” right now?
Where is the fog thickest in your prayer life? Is it about a struggle to find hope in your circumstances? Is it in recognizing your value? Are you intimidated by your own lack of power or what seems to be more powerful forces around you in our culture and time? How are these three related in your life?
How might this passage provide you with a new powerful way to pray? Where do you need to rely upon God’s resurrection power and not your own? Is it a particular sin, struggle, relationship, work/family situation, or fear about the world?
Close your group by praying for one another using this prayer as a springboard. Pray for what was shared in response to question #6.