Living His Word

Ephesians 1:18-19 ERV: I pray that God will open your minds to see his truth. Then you will know the hope that he has chosen us to have. You will know that the blessings God has promised his holy people are rich and glorious. And you will know that God’s power is very great for us who believe.

Ephesians 1:18-19 is a part of the prayer that the Apostle Paul prayed on a regular basis for the Ephesian church and, no doubt, for all the churches he was involved with. It’s a great prayer to pray for one’s own friends, family, church, school, etc.

The prayer begins with a request that God would give the ability to see truth. What Paul has in mind here is the ability to see the truth of the Gospel and God’s revelation in general. God’s revelation may become available to people, but unless the Lord grants the faith necessary to see revelation for what it is it will be lost on them. What Paul is praying for here is that the church would have true religious or spiritual knowledge.

If the Lord grants this spiritual knowledge, then we will know certain things. First, we will know “the hope He has chosen us to have.” This is, of course, the hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the hope of salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. It is the hope of abundant life in the present and, ultimately, eternal life.

Second, we will know that “the blessings God has promised His holy people are rich andglorious.” This refers to all the great and mighty blessings God has promised His people throughout the Bible. Since Christians are God’s holy people, all of these rich and glorious promises now belong to us. We may have faith in God to fulfill them in our lives.

Finally, we will know that “God’s power is very great for us who believe.” As Paul goes on to say in Chapter 1, this is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. It is the resurrection power that is already at work in our lives by healing us, strengthening us, and empowering us to do everything God wants us to do. Ultimately, it is the power that will raise us up from the dead just as Jesus was raised.

Paul’s prayer is a powerful and effective prayer of a righteous man (James 5:16). Why not make it the model for your own prayers today?