"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.  I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead … God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body" (Eph. 1:15-23).

Paul's prayer-life was incredible. Mine certainly isn't. No excuses. Let's encourage one another in this. One way is to fully support the collective calls to prayer that come through our church leaders. What is the heart of Paul's prayer here? For what is he praying? For knowledge and understanding. "Ephesians 1 is divided into two sections: Paul blesses God for having blessed us in Christ; then he prays that God will open our eyes to grasp the fullness of this blessing and live in the good of it" John Stott.

The Christian life is about constant growth in knowledge and understanding that leads to acts of love and steps of faith. Paul's prayer focuses on three areas: (1) our knowledge of God himself, (2) our understanding of the hope he has given to us, and (3) our understanding of his power. All are essential in our development as true disciples of Jesus.

I feel that God has been teaching me more about himself over the last year or so than he has in previous years. To put it another way, what I had hoped was true about him, has proved to be accurate! As I seem to keep saying, God really is like the father of the prodigal son and his elder brother! He really is for everyone he has created and longs for all to come to repentance! He really is not intent on judging and condemning us, but in healing us, saving us and setting us free! And Jesus really is gentle and lowly! He really is to each of us as he was to the women caught in adultery: "Neither do I condemn you." He really did not come to judge but to save.

The hope he has given us is the hope to which he has called us; that is (amongst many other things), to belong to Jesus; to live a holy life worthy of our Saviour; to freedom; to peace; to forbearance of one another and love for one another; to suffering; and finally to his eternal glory. We are to grow in our understanding of all that this confident hope includes so we can live joyfully, cheerfully and thankfully. And, we are his rich and glorious inheritance! (Such a thing would be 100% impossible without it all depending on Jesus.)

How we need to understand more of "the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him … the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead"! It is because of Christ's resurrection from the dead, ascension into heaven and enthronement over the powers of evil, that he has been given headship over the church. His power is literally "the energy of the might of his strength" and it is all "for the church"; that is, for the body of Christ to demonstrate that power to the world. I think God wants his power to be seen primarily through local church communities, not just through the ministries of anointed individuals with special gifting.