Paul’s Prayer for the Ephesians | A Bible Class on Ephesians 1:15-23
Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians provides a small glimpse into the prayer life of the early Christians. This paragraph teaches about Christian living, prayer, God’s power, and Christ’s exaltation.
Christian Living
Paul mentioned two Christians graces the Ephesians possessed.
Paul had not seen the Ephesians demonstrate these graces firsthand. Instead, he noted, “I have heard. . . .” For Paul to have heard of the Ephesians’ faith and love, they had to demonstrate it publicly. Others had noted their faith and love and informed Paul about how the Ephesians were living. Faith and love cannot be known without action; therefore, the Ephesians were obviously living out their faith and love in a demonstrative way. We need to make sure that we are living in a way that others see our good works.
- “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven” (Matt 5:16).
- Good works are never to be done for our own praise and glory (cf. Jesus’s teaching about giving, prayer, and fasting—Matt 6:1-6, 16-18).
Paul had heard of the Ephesians’ faith in the Lord Jesus. Faith is vital to the Christian. “I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he” (Jn 8:24). “He” is missing in the Greek; the Lord literally says, “Unless you believe that I am.” This recalls YHWH’s statement to Moses (Ex 3:14-15). “Without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him” (Heb 11:6).
The Ephesians’ faith was rooted in the Lord Jesus—He was the object of their faith.
As we previously mentioned, their faith was evident through their lives. Hebrews 11:4-38 provides an excellent example of how faith can be evident in someone’s life. How is faith being seen in your life?
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Paul had heard of the Ephesians’ love toward all the saints. The Christian has an obligation to love his fellow believers. “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:35-36). “This is the message you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another” (1 Jn 3:11).
Notice that the Ephesian Christians had love “toward all the saints.” They did not love some saints, while they despised others. They disregarded skin color, ethnicity, socio-economic status, past sins, political beliefs, etc.
As we previously mentioned, their love was evident through their lives. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 provides an excellent example of how love can be evidence in someone’s life. How is love being seen in your life?
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Prayer
If Ephesians were a circular letter (as I personally believe), many congregations would have probably been represented. Therefore, Paul would have spent a great deal of time in prayer to give thanks for them. Pious Jews spent several hours each day in prayer; early Christians likely adopted this practice.
You understand the importance of prayer. “Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart” (Lk 18:1). “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thess 5:17).
Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians was a prayer of thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is to be a way of life for the child of God. “Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God” (Phil 4:6). “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thess 5:18).
Paul specifically was giving thanks for his brethren. What are some reasons you have to give thanks for your brethren?
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What are some ways you can give thanks for your brethren?
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God’s Power
Paul described God as “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Notice that Paul in this passage did not call God “our God.” God is “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ” in a different way that he is our God. Jesus often called God “my Father.” The only time Jesus used “our Father” was when he was teaching his disciples how to pray. Jesus has a completely different relationship with the Father than you and I have (or will ever have).
Paul further described God as “the Father of glory.” The idea would likely be “the Father surrounded by glory” or “the Father who is full of glory.”
Paul not only thanked God for the Ephesians, but he prayed that God would bless them. This section could have easily been included under the “Prayer” heading. However, Paul was asking God to use his great power to help the Ephesians. Obviously, an inspired apostle is not going to ask God to do something he simply cannot do. Thus, God could use his power in every way Paul mentioned here.
Paul prayed that God would give the Ephesians “a spirit of wisdom and understanding” as they came to know him. A spirit of wisdom and understanding is important as we seek to know God. God has promised to answer our prayers for wisdom (Js 1:5).
Paul prayed for wisdom and understanding “as you come to know him.” Paul was writing to and praying for Christians; the clear implication is that these Christians still needed to know God. Can we ever completely know God? Inherent in the idea of coming to know God is the truth Christians need to be growing. Why do Christians need to be growing? How can Christians grow?
Paul did not pray for the Ephesians simply to know about God, but he prayed for them to know God. How can one know about God but know God? Why is it important to know God?
Paul prayed that the “eyes of [the Ephesians’] heart [would be] enlightened.” This would undoubtedly refer to asking the Holy Spirit to guide the Ephesians to know the truth of the gospel.
Paul prayed the Ephesians would know “the hope to which he has called you.” The hope would be the promise of eternal life; the hope is here called “the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints.” “The hope laid up for you in heaven” (Col 1:5). “We wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Tit 2:13).
God called the Ephesians to this hope. God’s calling of the Christian is not some mystical call. However, God calls people to him through the proclamation of the gospel: “For this purpose he called you through our proclamation of the good news” (2 Thess 2:14).
This hope is “the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints.” “Inheritance” reminds the Christian of God’s promising to give Canaan to his Old Testament saints as an inheritance. In the same way, he has promised heaven to us as our inheritance.
Paul prayed the Ephesians would know “what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.” “Power” is used four times in the rest of this paragraph according to the New Revised Standard Version. The Greek uses “power” twice and “might” once; the final “power is added in the NRSV to help the English flow more easily. Power plays an important role in the final section of Paul’s prayer.
“The immeasurable greatness” of God’s power is only for the believer according to this passage. How does God use his power for the believer in ways he does not for the unbeliever?
Christ’s Exaltation
God used his power to raise Jesus from the dead and seat him at his right hand. It takes great power to raise someone from the dead. Only God has that power. Jesus “was declared to be the Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead” (Rom 1:4).
It takes great power to sit someone at God’s right hand. Only God has that power. “When [Jesus] had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Heb 1:3).
God placed Jesus far above all authority in the heavenly realm. Those who tried to cast out demons often called upon powerful spirits to cast out less powerful spirits; the idea here is that Jesus is the greatest power. God made Jesus the greatest power after the crucifixion and resurrection.
God put all things under Jesus’s feet and made him the head over all things for the church. This text does not say Jesus is the head of the church. We understand that Jesus is the head of the church (Col 1:18); head can mean “source,” and that might be the meaning in Colossians 1:18. According to this text, God made Jesus head over all things for the church. The idea is clearly authority, for God put all things under his feet. We know that God gave all authority to Jesus (Matt 28:18).
The church is Jesus’s body. As his body, the church is comprised of people who make up a whole (cf. 1 Cor 12:12-31). Jesus has the church as a body only because his physical body was resurrected on the first day of the week.
This Bible class was originally taught by Dr. Justin Imel, Sr., at Church of Christ Deer Park in Deer Park, Texas.