Read Ephesians 1:15–19
Questions from the Scripture text: What two things had the apostle heard back about the Ephesian church (Ephesians 1:15)? How did he respond to this news (Ephesians 1:16)? To Whom did he pray, and what does he call Him in Ephesians 1:17? What did he pray God would give them—what does he call the Spirit here? What does he pray that the Spirit would do to their understanding? What two things would they come to know in Ephesians 1:18 if their understanding is thus enlightened? What additional thing would they come to know in Ephesians 1:19?
What should believers pray to grow in? Ephesians 1:15–19 helps us prepare to hear Ephesians 2:1–5 proclaimed in the morning public worship on the coming Lord’s Day. In these five verses of Holy Scripture, the Holy Spirit teaches us that one thing that believers should pray that they would grow in is their theological understanding of God and His gospel.
Believers have lots of room for growth. Here was a church of such faith and love as to occasion apostolic thanksgiving to God—how we ought to join the Lord, and the angels, and the apostles in thanking God for whatever faith and love we hear about!
But they still had room to grow, and so the apostle who thanked God for them also prayed for them a prayer to “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory.” He addresses his prayer in such a way as to remember and remind us of the great power that He is enlisting.
By that power, the apostle seeks the working of the Spirit to help the Ephesian believers’ minds. He refers to the spirit here as “the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.” For what work of the Spirit does he ask? That the third Person of the Trinity would give light to the eyes of their understanding.
We learn here that for spiritual growth, there must be theological growth. Spiritual growth is more than theological growth, but it does not exist without the other. This is because there are at least these three things that we should always be growing in understanding:
The hope of His calling. There is stability and joy that comes from growing in our understanding both that it is He who called us, and what glory it is to which He has called us.
The riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints. There is wonder and worship that comes from growing in our understanding of how He has valued us and taken us to be His
The exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power. There is confidence and zeal that comes from growing in our understanding of how it is by His almighty power that He worked faith in us, and by that same almighty power that He is still working in us.
Believers have lots of room for growth, which comes by growing in understanding these things.
What place does theological growth have in your prayers? And what place in your efforts?
Sample prayer: Lord, we thank You for what faith in Christ and love for the saints You have given us. Indeed, we thank you for granting to us to be able to see these, often, in other believers. Grant unto them, and to us, the ministry of Your Spirit. Grant that, by His ministry, we would receive light to understand the greatness of our gospel hope, and of Your power toward us who believe. Increase and improve our theological knowledge, so that we might be strengthened and gladdened for walking with You, we ask through Christ, AMEN!
Suggested songs: ARP19B “The Lord’s Most Perfect Law” or TPH172 “Speak, O Lord”
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