Praying for the Saints of God..

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: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,  Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.--Ephesians 1:15-23


To My Beloved Daughters:


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; 


Verses 3-14 of this chapter speak to the amazing and inexhaustible blessings we, who are in Christ, have.  All that belongs to Him is ours!  In this last part of chapter 1, we find Paul praying for the people he is writing this letter to...the saints of Ephesus...the beloved of God.  For this study we are looking at verses 15 and 16.  Paul's heart is so evident here.  He not only shares the gospel with them and tells them about the spiritual blessings they have in Christ, but He completes the loop by praying for them and interceding on their behalf.  His desire was that they would know all that was theirs in Christ to the fullest extent.



Beloved, pray for the saints of God...they are God's delight.  Pray that they would know that He was their inheritance, their portion both in this world and the one to come.  Paul's own desire and prayer for them was this:


 "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe."  


Yup...as a saint of God, that is what I want.  Scripture tells us that Paul ceases not to give thanks for them and mention them in his prayers.  This verse has always spoken to my heart.  At the beginning of my Christian walk there were times when as I looked around at the world and at my sisters and brothers in Christ, that I felt overwhelmed with the need for prayer...but how could I remember everything and everyone???  Fortunately, that is exactly the reaction my God wanted me to have because then I looked up.  With God, all things are possible.    The one prayer that was necessary was the one where I implored my God to show me how to do this and He answered by bringing people and situations to mind as I went about my day that were in need of prayer.  After that prayer became like breathing...I trusted God to recall to my mind those who He would have me intercede for.  This blesses and helps me I think so much more than the people I might pray for.  My connection with my God is often open...my eyes focused on the spiritual...what a blessing for me at those times, because I am so much better off when I am thinking on God and others rather than me, myself, and I...the trinity of stupidity as Pastor Lloyd Pulley speaks of it.


Next up...verse 17.


Love
Mom