Paul praises God for the faithfulness that marked Christ followers in the city of Ephesus. He prays that the church will gain deep insight into the Lord’s powerful working and rich gifts in Christ. The foundational request of Paul’s prayer is that God send His spirit to Christ followers to personally engage in life with them and guide them with spiritual wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. Paul understands a need for our hearts to be flooded with a godly light, that our eyes are opened to the glorious hope, inheritance, and power of our heavenly Father.

Suggestions for Studying Ephesians During the Series:

1. Read daily passages along with NLT or ESV study Bible.
2. Read the whole book in one sitting once a week for the remainder of the series.
3. Listen to the whole book in one sitting once a week for the remainder of the series.

Click here to read or listen to the book of Ephesians.

Scripture References

Ephesians 1:15-23
1 Corinthians 2:9-12
John 15:5

– Is there something about my life people would recognize as a life committed to God?
– Thankfulness should well up within me for what God has done in others.
– Evidence of God’s working in others should prompt me to pray all the more.
– When was the last time the words of a song became real to me during corporate worship?
– What am I putting my hope in that is insecure, over which I have no power, which will ultimately disappoint?
– Do I expect the God who created and sustains the physical universe to justify Himself to me?
– What is the evidence that God is living within me empowering me to live the life God has called me to live?

Thoughts to Consider

-Though I lose everything, I need not lose my joy because I have an inheritance that can never fail, spoil, or fade.
-Someone who is for you is in the seat of highest executive authority, and He has defeated death on your behalf.
-The Christian life is not just about making ethical decisions, but about the Spirit of God coming to live within us and empower us to live the life God has called us to live.

3 Things Paul Prays the Holy Spirit Will Show Us

1. To have our eyes opened to see the real eternal hope to which we’ve been called that cannot disappoint and will not be crushed or destroyed.
2. That your imagination be captivated by the glorious inheritance that God has given us. We have a new birth, into a new standing, and have an inheritance that can’t be taken away.
3. Recognize the incomparable and incredible power God has made available to us. This is the power that defeated death. We don’t have to fear death or be afraid of anything that will happen to us apart from the rule and reign of King Jesus.