The 1st Prayer to the Ephesians
In this article, titled— The 1st Prayer to the Ephesians—Paul, through the leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit imparts a series of prayers to the church in Ephesus. Powerful prayers. Prayers that intercede for our fellow believers, as well as our own hearts, which helps establish a person in truth and focus repeatedly on not only what our identity in Christ is, but God’s character, our inheritance in Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit, the Authority of Jesus, and more. These very same prayers are ones we can and should be praying over others and ourselves for a continual renewing of our mind through repetitious speaking and declaring and coming into agreement with the truth, as well as interceding on behalf of fellow saints.
Some of the core components we want to highlight, and shed a bit of light on in the first of Paul’s prayers to the Ephesians are as follows:
The passage in Ephesians we will be covering is:
Ephesians 1:15-23
“Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,
Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.”
Today, let’s dive into the five points Paul made in this prayer, so we can better understand it and operate in truth and faith when praying this either over ourselves, or others.
A Prayer Meant for the Believer
In Ephesians 1:15-23 we find out that this prayer is specifically meant for the person who has already accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. We know this because Paul specifically calls them to operate in faith, and for them to be loving towards their fellow saints. This prayer is meant to be an intercession, and a powerful one at that.
Receiving the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation
Paul prays for the Ephesians, even though they were saved and had the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of them, to receive the “spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him…”. This is because when you become saved, it doesn’t automatically mean you have received wisdom and revelation (understanding and knowledge) on the Lord Jesus Christ and what His sacrifice fully means for you on the cross. This is something that is imparted to a believer through the continual renewing of the mind and repetitious studying of scripture by the Holy Spirit. It is a spirit-to-spirit interaction, and one you absolutely can pray for, regarding yourself and other believers.
The Eyes of Our Understanding Being Enlightened
When a believer has eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to receive from the Lord, they begin to know what is the hope of their calling, as well as the riches of the glory of their inheritance, which is found in Ephesians 2:11-13 and 19-22 which states that we are in Christ:
1.Citizens of the commonwealth of Isreal
2.We are no longer strangers from the covenant of promise
3.We have hope
4.We are not without God
5.The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost dwell in each one of us
6.We are the temple of the living God
The Power of the Holy Spirit
Paul makes it clear to the church, and to us, that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, lives in us. The Holy spirit can often be overlooked in many circles, and seen almost as a simple helper, in terms of the Trinity. But this is not so. The Holy Spirit is the power of God, which moves through the earth. The Holy Spirit reveals the nature of The Father to us, and causes us to walk in the fruits of the spirit.
Isaiah 11:2
And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
Because we have Jesus residing within us (See 2 Corinthians 13:5 and Galatians 2:20), we also have these residing within us when we operate in faith.
The Power and Authority of Jesus
Paul is careful to make known that Jesus, after He was crucified and raised from the dead, was seated at the right hand of the Father, far above principalities, powers, rulers of this world, and has all might and dominion as the head of all things in the church. These realities are crucial to know and understand and have revealed to a believer. Because when we understand Christ’s sacrifice, and what He accomplished, we are better equipped to not only walk in faith, knowing that Jesus is far more powerful than any scheme or wile of Satan, but also walk in truth and power.
- 1. This Prayer is meant for believers (interceding for other believers and or praying for yourself)
- 2.Receiving the spirit of Wisdom and Revelation
- 3.The eyes of our understanding being enlightened
- 4.Paul sheds light on the power of the Holy Spirit, and the same power raising Jesus from the dead living in us
- 5.Paul reminds the Ephesians of the power and authority of Jesus
The passage in Ephesians we will be covering is:
Ephesians 1:15-23
“Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,
Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.”
Today, let’s dive into the five points Paul made in this prayer, so we can better understand it and operate in truth and faith when praying this either over ourselves, or others.
A Prayer Meant for the Believer
In Ephesians 1:15-23 we find out that this prayer is specifically meant for the person who has already accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. We know this because Paul specifically calls them to operate in faith, and for them to be loving towards their fellow saints. This prayer is meant to be an intercession, and a powerful one at that.
Receiving the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation
Paul prays for the Ephesians, even though they were saved and had the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of them, to receive the “spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him…”. This is because when you become saved, it doesn’t automatically mean you have received wisdom and revelation (understanding and knowledge) on the Lord Jesus Christ and what His sacrifice fully means for you on the cross. This is something that is imparted to a believer through the continual renewing of the mind and repetitious studying of scripture by the Holy Spirit. It is a spirit-to-spirit interaction, and one you absolutely can pray for, regarding yourself and other believers.
The Eyes of Our Understanding Being Enlightened
When a believer has eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to receive from the Lord, they begin to know what is the hope of their calling, as well as the riches of the glory of their inheritance, which is found in Ephesians 2:11-13 and 19-22 which states that we are in Christ:
1.Citizens of the commonwealth of Isreal
2.We are no longer strangers from the covenant of promise
3.We have hope
4.We are not without God
5.The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost dwell in each one of us
6.We are the temple of the living God
The Power of the Holy Spirit
Paul makes it clear to the church, and to us, that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, lives in us. The Holy spirit can often be overlooked in many circles, and seen almost as a simple helper, in terms of the Trinity. But this is not so. The Holy Spirit is the power of God, which moves through the earth. The Holy Spirit reveals the nature of The Father to us, and causes us to walk in the fruits of the spirit.
Isaiah 11:2
And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
Because we have Jesus residing within us (See 2 Corinthians 13:5 and Galatians 2:20), we also have these residing within us when we operate in faith.
The Power and Authority of Jesus
Paul is careful to make known that Jesus, after He was crucified and raised from the dead, was seated at the right hand of the Father, far above principalities, powers, rulers of this world, and has all might and dominion as the head of all things in the church. These realities are crucial to know and understand and have revealed to a believer. Because when we understand Christ’s sacrifice, and what He accomplished, we are better equipped to not only walk in faith, knowing that Jesus is far more powerful than any scheme or wile of Satan, but also walk in truth and power.
This first prayer is packed with even more truth and the foundational principles as believers that the Holy Spirit wants to help us come into agreement with. In our teaching—1st Prayer to the Ephesians—which you can watch and or listen to on our app or website, Pastor John Aldridge will lead you more in depth with references back to various scriptures that further solidify and reveal the core points discussed above.
To watch or listen, click on the teaching below:
To watch or listen, click on the teaching below:
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