Ephesians 1:15-18

The Epistle to the Ephesians is written to help us understand that the Church is the body of Christ and to see our place within that body.

One thing we need to keep in mind is our relationship to the whole body of Christ and how we can minister to one another.

Several years ago, I had to have surgery on one of my knees. For several weeks after that, I carefully nurtured that leg. I cared for it first by walking with crutches, then a cane, and finally on my own. I also did therapy to strengthen my muscles. In short, I took very good care of a hurting part of my body. This is exactly the relationship that we are to have with another person within our fellowship body.

One way we minister in and to the body is through prayer. By using this power, every person can benefit from the support of other Christians.

• The climate for effective prayer (Ephesians 1:15)
  • The reason for such prayer
    • Paul goes back to the previous verses in which our relationship is outlined
      • Our call, redemption, and forgiveness
  • The evidence for effective prayer
    • Faith
    • Love
      • The natural outcome of faith is love
      • If your growth in the direction of love is not taking place, there is something faulty about your faith
    • Love toward all saints
      • You can know all there is to know about the Bible and articulate it well, but if love hasn’t reached your heart, your knowledge is worthless
    • Christianity is a heart relationship
      • It is here that prayer becomes effective
• The dimension of effective prayer (Ephesians 1:17)
  • The one to whom we pray
    • The God of our Lord Jesus Christ
    • Jesus found prayer to the Father most effective
      • The Father is always ready to hear our cry
  • The importance of asking
    • Be specific
    • Ask for needs
      • Wisdom
      • Illumination

Do we pray like that when we read our Bible? If we want our prayer to come alive, this needs to be how we pray. James 4:2 says, “You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet, but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.”

Thus, it is clear that prayer can be a rich experience for all of us as we share together in the body. These Ephesian Christians were encouraged to know that, in a far-off prison, prayers were ascending to the Father on their behalf. We too can share in that experience as we walk in His ways.