◄ Paul’s Perfect Prayer - PAUL - Man of Prayer study (1) ►

Paul's Pleading

Verse after verse the apostle Paul pours out his heart, pleading for the body of Christ. He breathes out the inner yearning of his soul, that all might know more of Christ. This earnest pleading of his heart is also a portion of his wider teaching to the Body..  that they have the light of the Lord and His tender love in their mind and heart - that they access His divine power and heavenly presence, in heart and mind.

Spirit of Wisdom

Having revealed to Christ’s Church the eternal riches of God’s grace towards them, Paul begins to intercede for all the saints in His powerful prayer of prayers. He prays that they may come to know God and the Lord Jesus Christ more and more.. that they grasp, understand, believe and appropriate the many riches of His grace - that the Spirit of wisdom opens their heart to see their incomparable inheritance.

Glorious Inheritance

Paul prayed.. that the glorious Father may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation - that you may know Him better, 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 and His incomparably great power for us who believe. Ephesians 1:17-19

Riches of Grace

This potent prayer of Paul was inspired by the Spirit to teach and edify all the saints. This is not only a plea from Paul, but exposes the Father-heart of God Himself. It is God Who wants all His children to know and understand the riches of His grace.. and the Spirit has been tasked to guide us into knowledge, understanding, and truth. And this is not only for the Ephesian believers but for all who are children of God. This is a prayer for you and me... that we know more fully the bounties of His grace - that we come to understand the staggering riches of God’s grace towards us all.

Spiritual  Discernment

And it is through Christ that we have been so endowed. It is by Christ that we have been brought into God’s family. It is in Christ that we stand and in Him that we are accepted by the Father.  It is Christ and Christ alone that is the means that has brought about our eternal bliss.  All Scripture is given by God to teach, train, and encourage the whole church of God, but the wealth of knowledge within its pages are only for those that trust in Christ.  The unsaved man is incapable of trawling the depths of the wealth of Scriptures.. for Scripture is spiritually discerned and we are endowed with the mind of Christ.

Spiritual Guidance

We can look back into the corridors of past history and see God’s plan unfolding.  We can peer into the pages of the future and see His purposes reaching fulfilment.  We can live in a Christ-rejecting sinful world and confidently trust our lives to Him.. for our times are in His hands and He has unveiled our understanding to the unknown - for the Spirit guides us into all truth and opens the eyes of our heart to knowledge.

Great Salvation

We are to know more fully the vast extent of the hope of His calling.. a hope that Paul spilled out like a casket of jewels in the verses that went before.. a great hope that is not yet fully realised in our experience until the day of Christ.. an eternal hope that God wrote in the past tense, which speaks of utter assurance - the full vista of our great Salvation when we are transformed in His very presence.

Unveiled Inheritance

We are to know more fully the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.. not only the actual inheritance that is held in trust, but its considerable GLORY - the riches of grace, peace, hope, and love, that are ours to live by in the present, and its full and final and unveiled inheritance, when we see Him as He is.

Future Mysteries

We are to know more fully the exceeding riches of His power toward us who believe.. divine mysteries that are unlocked to our understanding – by grace through faith.. to know the surpassing power that is ours through the ministry of the Holy Spirit -  to know the matchless riches of God’s grace and glory that are ours, by believing.

Present Reality

We are to know the guarantee of heavenly blessings as a present reality, which was manifested in Christ’s resurrection and exultation to the throne of God. Which is according to the working of His mighty power which He brought about in the Messiah when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realm. He is far above every ruler, authority, power, dominion, and every name that can be named, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. God has put everything under the Messiah's feet and has made Him the Head of everything for the good of the Church - and we are that CHURCH.

Body of Christ

Christ has been lifted up by God to a position of ultimate universal authority, and His position is Head over the body – which is Christ – that’s US! The apostle Paul pours out his heart - pleading for the body of Christ. Paul begins to intercede for all the saints in His powerful prayer of prayers. He breathed out the inner yearning of his soul, that we might know more of Christ. This potent prayer of Paul was inspired by the Spirit to teach and edify all the saints. This is not only a plea from Paul but exposes the Father-heart of God Himself.