“Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.”
Have you ever met someone who just knew exactly how to encourage you? That person who knows how to pray for you before you even ask? As Paul writes to the Ephesians, we see his heart for them as he reveals his deepest prayers. He knows how to pray, and there are a lot of big statements — “constantly,” “flooded,” and “glorious.” Is Paul just dramatic? Or does he have a reason for using such significant language?
Let’s look at what Paul’s prayers are for the Ephesians. He begins with thankfulness. He asks God to give them supernatural wisdom and knowledge. He prays that God would give them divine understanding in order to increase their hope and faith. Do those prayers sound like ones you’ve prayed lately?
Here’s your freedom for today: God is waiting for your supernatural prayers. Sure, we can all start the morning with, “Dear Jesus, help me to have a good day today…” But that kind of prayer just isn’t in the Bible. We see Jesus and his disciples praying for healing and miracles. Paul is praying for divine encounters to help expand and grow the church. There is a constant thankfulness about the eternal reality that is so much bigger than anything we will face in our earthly day. Today, take a look at your prayer life. What is one thing you could ask God to do supernaturally that would have eternal value?