A COMPREHENSIVE PRAYER

Ephesians 1:15-21

Morning Meditation 8/18/2014

"Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:"

Let's look first at--

TO WHOM IT WAS OFFERED

The spirit in which this great prayer was offered was that of thanksgiving and abounding faith. Prayer and thanksgiving are twin sisters.

1. To "The God of our Lord Jesus Christ" (vs 17). He is directing his petition to the Supreme Court. The believer has that privilege because we have the standing of sons.. We are no longer children of the Wicked One but sons of the living God. Romans 8:14-17, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together."

2. To "The Father of Glory." John 1:14, "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth." This glory dwelt in the body of the eternal Son. It surfaced on the Mount of Transfiguration. Peter tells about this in 1 Peter 5:1, "The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:"

THE PETITIONS.

1. That He may "give unto you the Spirit of Wisdom, and Revelation, in the knowledge of Him." This is a prayer request that shows possibility. It is possible in answer to prayer to obtain the "Spirit of Wisdom, and Revelation, in the knowledge of Him." Could this be the reason that Paul said, "Pray without ceasing?"

2. That the "Eyes of your understanding being enlightened. . ." This is not speaking of the eyes of the body. It is speaking of the eyes of the mind. A blind man has these eyes. Paul wants them to understand, and understanding must come from being enlightened, and this is the work of the Holy Spirit. We use the word illumination. We have the revelation in the written Word and we have the illumination in answer to prayer as we seek the Holy Spirit's help in understanding.

THE EXPECTED RESULTS

1. That ye may know, "What is the hope of His calling." Not what is the hope of your calling. But what is the hope of His calling. How few realize the greatness of the hope into which the grace of God has called us. Hope is the joyful anticipation of a reality.

1 Thessalonians 2:12, "That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.." This kingdom is a kingdom without death, pain, sadness, disease, hatred, war and on and on we could go. It is a kingdom of joy that will never end, a fellowship with the Father and the Son and the communion of the Holy Spirit that will never be broken by a breach in fellowship.

2. That ye man know, "What is the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the Saints?" We often think of our inheritance in Christ, but here it is the riches of Christ's inheritance in the saints (vs 18). The Lord's portion is His people; and in the coming ages the glorified Church will be an everlasting witness to the riches of the glory of Christ's saving grace.

3. That you may know, "What is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe. . ." He illustrates the meaning of "exceeding greatness of His power" with the resurrection and exaltation of Christ at His own right hand. There is no higher privilege than to be a son of God and live in this world with the sure expectation of the return of Christ to finish our salvation with the redemption of the body.

May the Lord bless these words to our hearts.

In Christ

Bro. White