PRAYER FOR THE CHURCH

Ephesians Lesson 2

Summary

This Bible study on Ephesians begins by defining the church as God’s “purchased possession,” secured by Christ’s sacrifice, and highlights our present experience in Christ as merely an “earnest of our inheritance” to come. It emphasizes the interconnectedness of faith and love, noting that true faith is demonstrated through loving action and that mutual prayer is a natural outgrowth of these qualities. The lesson then focuses on Paul’s prayer for believers to receive the “spirit of wisdom and revelation” from God, explaining that revelation provides new spiritual truths beyond human understanding and wisdom helps us apply them, all leading to a deeper “knowledge of him.”

Bible passage: EPHESIANS 1:15-23 (NIV)

Eph 1:14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

Act 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

Here is the first mention of the church in our study. the purchased possession.

Our lesson tonight stems from this verse. the purchased possession. here is what we are all looking forward to. of course the purchased possession is the church.

THE EARNEST OF OUR INHERITANCE.

I know that bro Wilson taught on this but this is so important to our lives here and our life to come. Paul is saying here that what we have here in christ is so wonderful, but what is ahead is so much greater than what we have here it is not even worthy of comparison to eternity.

Eph 1:15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,

This where fore relates us back to the works of God mentioned in verses 3-14.

The key words here are faith and love. these two words go to gather like peanut butter and jelly. love is the outgrowth of faith and faith manifests itself in love.

FAITH WORKS BY LOVE.

Gal 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

LOVE IS THE PROOF OF DISCIPLESHIP JOHN 13.35

Joh 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Eph 1:16 Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

IF WE HAVE FAITH AND LOVE WE WILL PRAY FOR EACH OTHER. PRAYER FOR THE SAINTS WAS PAUL’S CONSTANT ENDEAVOR.

Eph 1:17 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 object of Paul’s prayer, that the father of glory may give the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.

The following verses are the same a prayer for light. Paul addresses the throne of glory the source of all blessings.the father of glory who is all glorious and

The source of all that is glorious. may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelations.

REVELATIONS HAS TO DO WITH NEW TRUTHS. Man needs more than reason and research, we need a revelation from god . revelation means to take the cover off. EPH. 3:5

These verses will let us know just how important revelation is to the work of the church that we can not do with out it, MAT. 16:15-

Mat 16:15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?

Mat 16:16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Mat 16:17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

Mat 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Gal 4:9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?

This is according to me. the name peter in the greek is petros a piece of rock and the rock that Jesus is building his church is petra a large mass of rock.

Wisdom is general illumination, the know how to use revealed spiritual truths.

In the knowledge of him. this is that deep and wide growing experimental knowledge.

2Pe 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

We all need a fuller knowledge of Christ.

Php 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

Php 3:11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

Eph 1:18 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,

the eyes of your understanding be enlightened. better still if it be the eyes of your heart be enlightened flooded with divine light the holy spirit opens eyes and hearts in-order that the believer may see the great truths mentioned here. the purpose os spiritual ilumination and spiritual perception that the believer may know and experience god’s calling inheritance and power.

calling. a calling from him and a summons to him. it is a call to new life in christ, through christ, for christ with christ. Phil, 3:13-14.god owns the universe, but his most prized possession is the pearl of great price, the church, the saints are the trophies of his grace.