“Never stop praying” (1 Thessalonians 5:17 NLT)
”So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” (Hebrews 4:16 NLT)
“Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” (Mark 11:24 NKJV)
It definitely won’t hurt to read Paul’s prayer for the believers in Ephesus again before probing further…
…“Because of this, since I first heard about your strong faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and your tender love toward all his devoted ones, my heart is always full and overflowing with thanks to God for you as I constantly remember you in my prayers. I pray that the Father of glory, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, would impart to you the riches of the Spirit of wisdom and the Spirit of revelation to know him through your deepening intimacy with him. I pray that the light of God will illuminate the eyes of your imagination, flooding you with light, until you experience the full revelation of the hope of his calling —that is, the wealth of God’s glorious inheritances that he finds in us, his holy ones! I pray that you will continually experience the immeasurable greatness of God’s power made available to you through faith. Then your lives will be an advertisement of this immense power as it works through you! This is the mighty power that was released when God raised Christ from the dead and exalted him to the place of highest honor and supreme authority in the heavenly realm! And now he is exalted as first above every ruler, authority, government, and realm of power in existence! He is gloriously enthroned over every name that is ever praised, not only in this age, but in the age that is coming!” And he alone is the leader and source of everything needed in the church. God has put everything beneath the authority of Jesus Christ and has given him the highest rank above all others. And now we, his church, are his body on the earth and that which fills him who is being filled by it!” (Ephesians 1:16-23 TPT)
Step 1: Probe the prayer under the light of the Holy Spirit.
As we discovered yesterday, it was the combination of what the believers that Paul was praying for had been given by the Holy Spirit, the demonstration of what they possessed in their daily lives, and the hope for the future that they were promised that prompted Paul to pray for them. He was so impressed and inspired by them that he was compelled to pray for them continually. Before moving forward into the first element of Paul’s prayer there is something else that jumped out at me.
Have you ever noticed that it is typically problems, difficulties, trials, and hard times that prompt us to pray. I know that for me it is normally the struggles that drive me to pray more often and with more intensity. It’s kind of like taking time to fill out a comment card at a restaurant or make a comment about a product online. When I am satisfied with the service and pleased with the food or product I don’t normally expend the effort to comment. However, if the service, food, or product don’t meet my expectations I am more apt to let it be known. Paul’s prayer was just the opposite.
Paul was praying for a group of believers that had their act together. The Church at Ephesus was thriving. The individual believers were growing and demonstrating for the most part what it looks like to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. Their testimony was being shared throughout the region and their influence was increasing. In the midst of a situation that showed little need for prayer, Paul prayed for them continuously.
Have you ever approached a birthday, anniversary, or perhaps Christmas and been faced with the challenge to come up with a gift for someone that has no obvious need or desire? Have you ever had to ask yourself the proverbial question, “What do you get for the person who already has everything?” That’s how it appears to be with the prayer needs of the believers at Ephesus. They beg the question, “How do I pray for someone who seems to have no need of prayer?” Paul’s prayer answers this question.
Let’s look at verse 17…
… “I pray that the Father of glory, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, would impart to you the riches of the Spirit of wisdom and the Spirit of revelation to know him through your deepening intimacy with him.”
Paul didn’t start his prayer by asking for anyone to be healed. He didn’t ask for material blessings. He didn’t seek deliverance from addictions or ongoing problems. No, he went straight to the source of all of those things. Paul prayed for the impartation of the “riches of the Spirit of wisdom and the Spirit of revelation.” This reminds me of Solomon.
It is recorded in the Old Testament that when Solomon was young and just taking over from his father David as the leader of the nation Israel he found himself overwhelmed by his lack of readiness for the task before him. David’s shoes were simply too big in his mind for him to fill. He cried out to the Lord for help and was given a precious opportunity. The Lord told him that he could ask for his greatest desire and it would be granted. In this situation I wonder what I would have asked for. Would it have been money so that I could hire experts to run the country for me? Would it have been power and influence so that those I am leading would follow me? What would it have been? Well, for Solomon it was wisdom to be able to rule his nation successfully and be the leader that could lead them into peace and prosperity. If you have read the account then you know that the result was that God answered his prayer and gave him the divine wisdom he requested and promised that as he walked in it he would also receive all of the things that he did not ask for (money, power, blessing, etc.)
The best example of the results of Solomon’s prayer is found in the visit of the Queen of Sheba. If I try to explain this I will never do it justice. The only way to begin to see just how phenomenal the results of living in divine wisdom can be is to read the account of this visit…
…”When the queen of Sheba heard of Solomon’s fame, which brought honor to the name of the LORD, she came to test him with hard questions. She arrived in Jerusalem with a large group of attendants and a great caravan of camels loaded with spices, large quantities of gold, and precious jewels. When she met with Solomon, she talked with him about everything she had on her mind. Solomon had answers for all her questions; nothing was too hard for the king to explain to her. When the queen of Sheba realized how very wise Solomon was, and when she saw the palace he had built, she was overwhelmed. She was also amazed at the food on his tables, the organization of his officials and their splendid clothing, the cup-bearers, and the burnt offerings Solomon made at the Temple of the LORD. She exclaimed to the king, “Everything I heard in my country about your achievements and wisdom is true! I didn’t believe what was said until I arrived here and saw it with my own eyes. In fact, I had not heard the half of it! Your wisdom and prosperity are far beyond what I was told. How happy your people must be! What a privilege for your officials to stand here day after day, listening to your wisdom! Praise the LORD your God, who delights in you and has placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the LORD’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king so you can rule with justice and righteousness.” Then she gave the king a gift of 9,000 pounds of gold, great quantities of spices, and precious jewels. Never again were so many spices brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. (In addition, Hiram’s ships brought gold from Ophir, and they also brought rich cargoes of red sandalwood and precious jewels. The king used the sandalwood to make railings for the Temple of the LORD and the royal palace, and to construct lyres and harps for the musicians. Never before or since has there been such a supply of sandalwood.) King Solomon gave the queen of Sheba whatever she asked for, besides all the customary gifts he had so generously given. Then she and all her attendants returned to their own land.” (1Kings 10:1-13 NLT)
I recommend that you take the time to go to Scripture for yourself and read the rest of the story. To quote the Queen of Sheba, you haven’t “heard the half of it!” No wonder Solomon wrote…
……”Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding. For wisdom is more profitable than silver, and her wages are better than gold. Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. She offers you long life in her right hand, and riches and honor in her left. She will guide you down delightful paths; all her ways are satisfying. Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her; happy are those who hold her tightly.” (Proverbs 3:13-18 NLT)
While Solomon walked in divine wisdom he was blessed personally and the nation he led was the most blessed, powerful, influential, and prosperous nation on earth. Like the Queen of Sheba, kings and queens would leave their kingdoms and travel great distances to sit and listen to his wisdom. They would risk their own lives and the safety of their kingdoms to be able to take back just a glimpse of what was taking place under Solomon’s rule. Also, like the Queen, when they came they brought extravagant tributes adding to the prosperity of Israel.
It was from this understanding of divine wisdom (“Spirit of wisdom”) that Paul prayed for the believers at Ephesus. He didn’t need to pray for a laundry list of requests. He knew that divine wisdom would take care of all of that.
He didn’t stop there. He went on to pray for divine revelation (“Spirit of revelation”). We will pick it up here next time. In the meantime, how about we look at how we pray and see how it compares to Paul. Here is a question that I am asking myself…
…”Are my prayers all about getting God to give me what I think I need and want, or are they about receiving the divine wisdom that will take care of all of that?”
Perhaps you will profit from asking yourself that same question as you ponder…
…Eric’s Life Lesson # 429: Praying With Paul – Ephesians 1:15-23 Part 3