Ephesians 1:15-23
15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit[a] of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
Bitesize Study
- Looking at our prayer life, what kinds of longings usually shape our prayers? What do we ask God for?
- Look at Paul’s prayer in v17-18. What does he pray for? How might we put this in our own words?
- How could our group life and our prayer life look different if we take seriously the huge cosmic story of these verses (18-22)? Try to think what difference it might make in concrete situations today to know this real hope and power.
We’ve got a whole range of resources to help us get stuck into Ephesians this term.