Paul is so thankful for the Ephesians. As a result he mentions them in his prayers. In those prayers he asks God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory to give something to them. I also like to use this as a prototype when I am praying for loved ones. I pray, as Paul models, that God will enlighten their understanding of Him. It is a prayer for that ah ha moment in their lives, the moment the idea clicks, or the light bulb goes on in their head. The ah ha moment comes when we know the hope of His calling, the riches of the inheritance in the saints and the greatness of His power toward believers.
The Hope of His Calling
People without Jesus do not hope as we do. However as growing Christians we learn the Hope we have in Him. Hope in Jesus is one thing that abides. The writer of Hebrews tells us it is a better hope. Through it we draw near to God. It is the anchor that holds us steady when life’s storms rage about us. Our hope lives and dwells in the presence of God making it an intimate knowing. The Psalmist knew this hope. He stated in Psalm 42 and 43
” Why are you cast down, O my soul? Hope in God For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.”
The Riches of the Inheritance in the Saints
Beyond needing His light to understand our great hope, we also need it to understand our inheritance. In Acts 2:18 we are told that when we turn from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to the power of God, we receive not only forgiveness but an inheritance. Therefore, those who have faith are being set apart to receive the great inheritance which is pure, does not fade and is reserved for us in heaven.
The Greatness of His Power
Furthermore we need the spirit of wisdom and revelation to understand what Paul refers to as “the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe”. He begins by the declaration of this power. It is the power that raised Jesus from the dead. Not only did it raise Him from the dead but even beyond the resurrection, this power seated Him at God’s right hand in the heavenly places. Paul continues. He wants his reader to further understand what it means. Jesus is above all principalities, power, might, dominion and name not only now but forever. Everything submits to Him, everything is under His feet. Jesus is the head of the church which is His body, the fullness of Him, who fills all in all.
Today I pray for us, in the routines of our lives, the places where perhaps the power of Satan has clouded the truth or brought death to some aspect of our lives, that God will give to us the spirit of wisdom and understanding. In addition, I pray He will enlighten our understanding, take away the cataracts of despair, or the glaucoma of fear and heal the blindness of our spiritual vision. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!!
