INTELLIGENT PRAYER. Ephesians 1:17-18 In his first prayer in this book of Ephesians, Paul addresses God above and beyond that with which the Jewish believers would have used. Certainly, it was far more real than those who had worshipped the idol Diana would have known. Instead of "the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" or the goddess Diana, Paul's words are addressed to the One, through the One, and by the One, who is the highest authority in the universe. Our God is the "God of our Lord Jesus Christ." He is the "Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus." The Lord Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, has reconciled us to God and has ascended to His Father, who is now our Father.
Our prayers and praises are all mediated by Him, who has made us accepted in Himself. It is no small or trivial act to address the Almighty Eternal God. This is not like having a chat with an earthly human father. We are speaking to the Supreme Authority in the universe, the "Father of Glory." He is the Originator of all glory, and the glory we will see at the end of our journey will come from Him who is "all glorious above," to whom we give all glory today and with whom we will share that future glory.
Paul's affectionate prayer for the believers at Ephesus gives us a sense of the importance and holiness that should be in evidence when we pray. This prayer is not just a casual stroll to the throne of grace "to obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." These are words of earnest supplication made on behalf of others. The Holy Spirit is the One who gives us the illumination of divine things and the spiritual knowledge to understand what God has for us. To be able to grasp the truths of God and apply them to ourselves is because of the wisdom and revelation the Holy Spirit reveals to us. He reveals Christ to us. He reveals the future to us. He gives us an understanding of how this can be made personal.
True wisdom comes to us only by revelation from God. This is more than knowledge about God; it is the experience of knowing Him in a personal way and submitting to His will. Without this, there can be no spiritual growth. It is not enough to be able to state spiritual truths by studying the scriptures. Believers will only profit from such truths when they grasp their significance and appropriate their benefits to themselves.
These benefits come as a result of meditation, reflection, and personal application of God’s truth to ourselves. Then, the Spirit of God gives illumination as we can understand His revelation. This was what Paul wanted the Ephesian believers to grasp and live by. There is no reason for us to live like infant children or spiritual paupers. Holy, spiritual light shines upon those who can comprehend who they are and our spiritual wealth in Christ.
In order for us to have "the knowledge of Him" and the personal acquaintance with Him that is the substance of our relationship with the Lord, the Holy Spirit works for us and in us. To know God and the Lord Jesus Christ is what eternal life is. But it is not enough for us to be only acquainted with Him. We need the intimate knowledge that comes with hearing and speaking together. We need the kind of knowledge that comes from shared experiences. That is what Paul was praying for on behalf of the assembly of believers at Ephesus who were already doing well in their Christian faith.
The Lord Jesus Christ is God, so in this passage of scripture, the emphasis is on the humanity of Jesus as the Father is the “God of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Because of His humanity, we have all our spiritual resources as human beings in Him who became one of us. “The Father of Glory” teaches us that He is the Originator of all that heavenly, holy glory. Divine holiness, might, majesty, and beauty come from the Lord of Glory, who was crucified on our behalf and has risen again from among the dead.
He then gives the spirit of wisdom and knowledge of Him to those who are His people. Paul wasn’t praying that the Holy Spirit would be given because He already lives in every believer. It is His intention that believers go beyond salvation to spiritual maturity – “That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death.” Such wisdom and knowledge come through reading and meditating on the word of God. The Holy Spirit will give spiritual insight to the minds and hearts of those who take time to learn from the divine Teacher. As we respond to what He teaches us, we will mature spiritually.
Our eyes are only a means by which information is transmitted from the source to our minds, so we can process that information and make it a part of us. "The eyes of our understanding" are to our soul how God teaches us His truth. Natural eyes give information to our bodies. Spiritual eyes of understanding give information to our soul and spirit. By nature, our understanding has been darkened by sin. We were unable to know anything about God.
Light comes into our souls when our hearts have been cleansed from sin by the work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. By the light of the Word of God, by the grace of God, and His love toward us, we have been made to live in Christ. Now, we are able to understand those things to which we were blinded by sin. Now, we can know God. Now, we can see what He has done for us and what He wants from us. Now, we can understand where we fit in the divine scheme of things and know what is ahead of us.
Three things Paul prayed for were that the believers at Ephesus would know the “hope of His calling,” “What are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,” and “What is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us.”
"The hope of our calling" is not some vague feeling that makes us think the future will be better than what we have now. It means they needed to understand that God continues His work in believers throughout our lifetime. God uses “all things” to work together for our good so that we will become like our Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit assures us that we are involved in a work of God that is eternal in its consequences. When we understand what God wants to accomplish in us, we will have a greater desire to please our Lord. Attitudes change when values change, and the more we realize we have risen with Christ, the more we will set our affection on things above.
When we truly grasp the hope of His calling, we will have a desire to know Christ better. There are going to be better days ahead. Evil will be dealt with ultimately and thoroughly. Righteousness will come, and there will be peace on earth and goodwill to men. Wrong does not win over right. The Holy Spirit lets us know these things and more. He reveals to us through the Word of God that we have a part in all God is doing now and in the future. We will participate in all the benefits we hope for in the glory yet to come. This hope is an assured fact.
The "riches of glory" are involved in this inheritance for which we look. There is an abundance of riches that is beyond our capacity to understand now because of our natural human limitations. “The riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints” is that God’s people are more than an inheritance, but are an inheritance of glorious riches to our Lord. When we realize what God thinks of us as believers in His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, we are caused to be humbled before Him with gratitude and praise. He is working in and through us to bring holy glory to Himself.
Suffice it to say that the Holy Spirit has given us enough wisdom and understanding that we are challenged to persevere in God's high calling in Christ Jesus. There is no reason to be weary in well-doing, "for in due season ye shall reap if ye faint not." From God's inexhaustible storehouse of grace comes the "riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints." That is enough to keep us going forward for Him for a whole lifetime. When we start thinking like God, we will begin to understand how much He thinks about us. When we think about His thoughts about us, then we can begin to think how much He thought about the Lord Jesus Christ, who "always did those things that pleased the Father."
When reading and meditating on these words, I am caused to consider how little I know of effective prayer. The heavens above, where the throne of grace is set, is always ready to take our requests and, from our feeble words, beget an answer that far exceeds my original request. My Father in Heaven knows what is the best way to give the answers in peace that are needed and the best outcome of my prayer to which He has listened.
Knowing that when I pray, the Father in heaven knows much more than I think is enough. He can read my thoughts while they are still intentions and moves to answer the petitions with divine wisdom and true understanding of the issues for which I pray. The results that He grants are much more than I asked, and with grace and compassion, He gives His answers in peace. Then, the anxiety that prompted prayer in the first place is kindly released from my anxious soul.
Often, when we pray, there are thoughts that are unexpressed because we lack words. Hidden inside one's spirit and on our soul are pressed thoughts that are beyond what I can know or say. These are issues that only God knows and can deal with according to His divine wisdom and will. However, when our hope is revealed, perhaps God will show us what He has concealed at this time because he knows our limitations. So, on our behalf, the Mediator who knows everything brought the best things to pass.